Raising Drying Room Humidity At The End Of Drying To Slow It Down?

[MidgeSmith]

I'm a week into drying at the end of tomorrow, but my buds are almost dry already ( @16% using a Wood Moisture Meter - not ambient RH).

 

I've had the buds hung as half plants (1 trunk with outer branches coming from it and cut off above that node, the trunk with inner branches on it). Larger fan leaves were removed and they've been in a room at ~16C / 60% RH with extraction triggered over 60% to keep the RH stable. Perhaps that means I am extracting too often as I would not have expected the moisture content to have reached 16% already.

 

The outer leaves are all crispy and the outside of the buds is starting to crisp, though they are still spongy, sticky and moist to the squeeze.

 

I think at most, if left, the buds will have dried within 9 days - 2 more days from now. Though I know a 7 / 8 day dry can be fine, my best results have come with 12 - 14 day dries and I know most folk on here say the same about their experiences.

 

So, with that in mind, would it be mould-encouraging-insanity to allow the drying room to rise to say 65% or even 70% RH @16C now, in order to slow the buds down another day or 3?  I can keep the humidity within that kind of zone with the humidifier and dehumidifier working in concert, though its not a flat line as the sensors on each are different and they are only settable in 5% increments.

I feel like a 12 day dry would be vastly superior to a 7 or 8 day as it is looking right now.  If the risk of moulding this close to the end - is excessive, I will forego the extra humidity, it just feels like it is within reach. Obviously, I am trying to avoid regret either way.

I guess I know it is safest to trim, jar and burp once they get to 11%-12% internal moisture (which apparently correlates with 60%-65% RH in a jar) even if that is after only 7 days drying, but would you 'wheeze the juice' to stretch the dry out, or say 'no way weasel' buddy?

Cheers guys!  I am always one experiment away from success or disaster

Midge

[BushDoctoR]

62% RH is ideal storage humidity for buds so having it trigger at 60% is too low for the stage you're at imo. Even in a sealed container at 62% they'll continue to lose moisture if there is enough space around them for them to do so which is why I now vac pac and use bovedas.

 

The risk of rot drops significantly after the first few days anyway, sounds like you're way past the danger zone

[MidgeSmith]

'Yeah probably!' to most of what you said

 

I mean 60RH/60F is a common solution as you are drawing anything above 60% out and stopping it before it goes too far I guess. But 65 isn't far off 62% really The sensor's probably not that accurate.  I generally use 62 and 58 respectively for cure and usage RHs.

So you'd be in favour of 62%-65% humidity on the trigger for humidty. Cool Very interesting.  I mean looking at them, the idea of raising it to 65% doesn't seem risky -and if it wins me back an extra day of drying, it is worth it imho! as you say, only a small amount over the curing constant.

I have set it to trigger at 64% for now.  Hopefully I can take it smoothly towards curing at that. I could take it higher, but I don't think it should be problematic. Also I think next time, I will have the fan completely OFF in between triggers, rather than holding negative tent pressure at 1.  Though the RH in the tent remained very steady around 60% I think that has sped up drying unduly. I'm still getting used to the level of control with the AC Infinity, but I think I was very over-zealous at first, and a little this time   Next time, I will get it (closer to) right I reckon.

Cheers for the feedback

Edited December 31, 2022 by MidgeSmith

[mysticriver]

10 hours ago, MidgeSmith said:

'Yeah probably!' to most of what you said

 

I mean 60RH/60F is a common solution as you are drawing anything above 60% out and stopping it before it goes too far I guess. But 65 isn't far off 62% really The sensor's probably not that accurate.  I generally use 62 and 58 respectively for cure and usage RHs.

So you'd be in favour of 62%-65% humidity on the trigger for humidty. Cool Very interesting.  I mean looking at them, the idea of raising it to 65% doesn't seem risky -and if it wins me back an extra day of drying, it is worth it imho! as you say, only a small amount over the curing constant.

I have set it to trigger at 64% for now.  Hopefully I can take it smoothly towards curing at that. I could take it higher, but I don't think it should be problematic. Also I think next time, I will have the fan completely OFF in between triggers, rather than holding negative tent pressure at 1.  Though the RH in the tent remained very steady around 60% I think that has sped up drying unduly. I'm still getting used to the level of control with the AC Infinity, but I think I was very over-zealous at first, and a little this time   Next time, I will get it (closer to) right I reckon.

Cheers for the feedback

looks nice bro wot strain is it?

 

 

mystic

[MidgeSmith]

Thanks man! There's Skunk #1, Cheddar #1 and Chemdog in there.

[MidgeSmith]

I've taken the Chemdog to jar slightly early because the buds are - on average - loose enough that I am concerned they'll be beyond curing dryness if I wait. They're sitting in jar at 64%RH currently I am going to see if that rises during the course of the day and if it does, I will paper bag it before going to Grove bag and mason jar.  I'm doing a split cure with each strain  as it reaches <= 63%RH to see if the bags are all that they are cracked up to be.

 

The matter is complicated by all my crappy small hygrometers reading differently, but I think as long as I average it out somewhat, it will be ballpark.  I noticed with the Chemdog, the leaves weren't quite brittle enough to break off using the Cannabrush gently, but the bigger buds were as dry as I'd like - though popcorn was still quite moist.  I figure this will even out in jar or bag before sealing

The skunk and cheese are both borderline jarable now, but I am going to check them again tonight and if either are dry enough, then I will jar for an RH test.  The leaves are borderline crisp enough to brush off now.  Since the buds are a bit more dense though, I shan't manicure and jar until the last minute.  I want them to cure well, but I want the most straightforward trim as well and I am keen to use the Cannabrush. As I have a Trimbin too now, I am less afraid to lose a few trichomes and more keen to spend less time trimming in the conventional way.

I don't know why, but my buds always seem to reach optimum dryness before the stems will snap, sometimes in fact the stems are quite flexible and the buds need taking off.  I think this is because the buds I have observed in that condition have been more sativa style and looser, so dry out rather quicker.  I have learned this dry that with my AC Infinity, a 60%RH/15.5C dry setting is a bit too rapid and a 64%RH would be a better air extraction trigger point with a zero Off speed for the untriggered extraction.  That should slow down the dry in my dehumidified area to the correct speed as my intake air is dried to 60%RH.

I appreciate that drying and curing are arts, but if I can get the numbers close enough, I feel more confident in my ability to judge this stage with less concern.

Happy 2023 Brothers and Sisters.