First attempt in 10 years

[Shaunx]

9 hours ago, MidgeSmith said:

you're better off jarring slightly early (62-67% RH or whatever)

 

Thanks mate, and there's my next question, how on earth do I tell that I'm at 62-67% RH while she's still hanging in my tent ?

 

I do have a digital thermometer/hygrometer thingy in there, which is varying between about 50-64% (with a little dehumidifier running to keep it down there), but presumably that's just the RH of the tent rather than the bud ?

 

..and when you say "air" the bud, you mean leaving the top off for a few minutes rather than a quick burp ?

 

Jeez, first time I did this 10 years back I think I must have just got lucky. Back then I literally just chopped off big buds, still on stems and sealed them in jars, no burping, though now I remember I did get some of those Boveda 62% packs and put in with them. I guess the Boveda may have saved me.

 

 

 

[MidgeSmith]

I go by instinct - like you are and jar up when I think its right.  The RH I am talking about is only measurable once jarred.

 

I do also have a wood humidity checker which has two spikes..  You can plunge that into a hard bit of bud or stem as it is drying and it tells you the humidity of it (not just the RH of the surrounding air). When I use that, I jar at about 13%-14% water content ideally.  Last time I overshot to 12% and it was fine though a touch too dry and the driest didn't improve in cure.

 

I didn't mention the wood moisture meter before as many feel that it is overkill and it does seem to tally fairly closely with my guestimate when I am drying. I just like the reassurance.

[Shaunx]

27 minutes ago, MidgeSmith said:

I go by instinct - like you are and jar up when I think its right.  The RH I am talking about is only measurable once jarred.

 

I do also have a wood humidity checker which has two spikes..  You can plunge that into a hard bit of bud or stem as it is drying and it tells you the humidity of it (not just the RH of the surrounding air). When I use that, I jar at about 13%-14% water content ideally.  Last time I overshot to 12% and it was fine though a touch too dry and the driest didn't improve in cure.

 

I didn't mention the wood moisture meter before as many feel that it is overkill and it does seem to tally fairly closely with my guestimate when I am drying. I just like the reassurance.

 

Thanks man, yeah sorry, I'm overcomplicating things as usual. I'll go with my plan, another few days then trim n' jar. I ordered a couple of those mini hygrometers to pop in the jars

[MidgeSmith]

You'll do great as you have all along, I have great confidence in your mission

[Shaunx]

@Shumroom, @MidgeSmith,

Well I bit the bullet this morning and did my all trimming and cutting buds off stems. I'd picked up a cheap 10x magnifying lens which forms a stand and that made life a lot easier. I usually hate repetitive tasks but I actually found it very relaxing. Took about 4 hours.

 

From the pile of buds I now have in a cardboard box I reckon they will fill at least 4 litre Kilner jars which is amazing !

 

I also amassed a decent pile of clippings and small leafty buds which is now in a jiffy bag in the freezer.

 

I filled one Kilner jar 3/4 full, popped a hygrometer in and left it for 45 minutes. RH settled at 70%

 

Is that too high to leave it in there and air/burp or should it all go into brown paper bags for a while ?

 

[MidgeSmith]

1 hour ago, Shaunx said:

@Shumroom, @MidgeSmith,

Well I bit the bullet this morning and did my all trimming and cutting buds off stems. I'd picked up a cheap 10x magnifying lens which forms a stand and that made life a lot easier. I usually hate repetitive tasks but I actually found it very relaxing. Took about 4 hours.

 

From the pile of buds I now have in a cardboard box I reckon they will fill at least 4 litre Kilner jars which is amazing !

 

I also amassed a decent pile of clippings and small leafty buds which is now in a jiffy bag in the freezer.

 

I filled one Kilner jar 3/4 full, popped a hygrometer in and left it for 45 minutes. RH settled at 70%

 

Is that too high to leave it in there and air/burp or should it all go into brown paper bags for a while ?

 

Shumroom has more experience than my, but here're my suggestions - I have been in the same boat...

I have very happily come down to 62% from 70% in Jars, though I am sure that many would suggest keeping them out.  As a halfway house, you could try keeping them in paper bags for a day or two if you want.  I just took them out of the jar for half an hour or so each day until they came down to 68%.  Alternatively you can leave them in the jars and burp them for a bit longer, maybe an hour the first day or two and half an hour if they are still high the day after. thats what I did, with similar results to both approaches.

Of course, you'll want the RH of the room you burp / redry them in to be less than 70% RH or the process will go incredibly slowly.

If you dehumidify the room at all, make sure the buds you are drying are nowhere near the dehumidifier as I put mine just in front and under the dehumidifier once. I left an aromatic, if slightly moist pile of buds and after half an hour or so, I came back to a small heap of hay :/

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by MidgeSmith

[Shumroom]

Since you’re in no hurry,

i’d take the slow approach  

 

Start by leaving the lids off overnight for one or maybe two nights(depending upon how much the RH settles back to),

closing them back up each morning and left in the dark again during the daytime.

 

Then just have the lids off for half an hour at a time per day,

each time closing them back up unread next day to give the moisture a chance to equalise throughout the buds.

 

You can reduce the amount of time the lids stay open as the days go on,

again how quickly you reduce the open time will depend upon how quickly the RH is falling by each day.

 

 

I don’t really go by the numbers anymore,

it’s become something I just use my combination of experience and instinct 

 

 

Yeah and as @MidgeSmith has already mentioned,

the actual RH in the room that the open jars are in will largely dictate how quickly things dry  

 

 

If you find the moisture levels not coming down by much(or worse increasing) you might want to stick the buds in some paper bags or cardboard box lined with newspaper for a night or two.

 

You’ve got this 

 

Atb

 

 

 

[Shaunx]

@Shumroom, @MidgeSmith,  Thanks both, I'd have been lost without you guys.

 

Ok, so I'll leave the bud that's already in a jar where it is and follow Shumroom's instructions.

 

A problem may be that with the lousy weather now (currently pissing down here), RH in the garage is over 70%, though I can lower it to around 66% in the tent with the little dehumidifier, so perhaps I need to put the open jar in there overnight.

 

The rest of the harvest I've already transferred to a bunch of 12 inch brown paper bags which I've popped on a shelf half way up the tent (well away from the dehumidifier)

 

I'll see what tomorrow brings

 

Thanks again chaps

[Shaunx]

1 week on.

 

I worked out last Friday why the dehumidifier couldn't lower the RH in the tent below 67%. It was because the extractor was causing garage air to be sucked in faster than the dehumidifier could deal with it - eediot!. I switched off the extractor and I could then hold RH around 53% in the tent.

 

I jarred everything and after a good night open in the tent the RH was down to about 65%. Since then I've  placed the jars open in the tent for 1 hour periods every day. RH now down to around 61-63% across the jars.

I think the variation is more down to the inaccuracy of the Hygrometers as they stay the same value when I swap them

 

So I guess I'm at curing stage now, so from the rough guide, open the jars every few days, shake gently and replace the lids.

 

Bud now grinds nicely too

[MidgeSmith]

Brilliant You're safe!

 

Your approach sounds great. While curing, personally, I'd go to a couple of minutes every couple of days first. This means that I get to smell my buds every day or two and I can check the progress and ensure there is nothing wrong and continue the cure nicely.

I put each jar on its side, shake to loosen the contents up a bit and separate it, then open it the right way up for a few minutes.  I progressively drop this off until I am opening every week, two weeks, month and then whenever.  I never get bored of sniffing weed.

Edited September 28, 2023 by MidgeSmith

[Shaunx]

17 hours ago, MidgeSmith said:

Brilliant You're safe!

 

Your approach sounds great. While curing, personally, I'd go to a couple of minutes every couple of days first. This means that I get to smell my buds every day or two and I can check the progress and ensure there is nothing wrong and continue the cure nicely.

I put each jar on its side, shake to loosen the contents up a bit and separate it, then open it the right way up for a few minutes.  I progressively drop this off until I am opening every week, two weeks, month and then whenever.  I never get bored of sniffing weed.

 

Thanks mate, I'll follow that method.

 

Ok, so a Massive thanks to @Shumroom and @MidgeSmith for all the help and advice. I am absolutely stoked with the results !

 

Also thanks to @handysmoker, @Openairbud, @blerie420, @OldFord, @CustardVape, @murphyblue, @Lux_Interior and UK420. What a brilliant supportive site this is !

 

Shame about the outdoor White Widow. I have managed to salvage what will be a small jar of bud from it after removing the rot and drying it in my shed away from the Fast Eddy in the garage.

I will definately be giving outdoor growing another shot next season after what I've learned this year.

 

Right, well I guess this thread is done. Here's the Fast Eddy money shot. Thanks again everyone...

 

 

 

 

[blerie420]

Smashed it bro. Any loss is a lesson in the right hands, the outdoor bug is a fucker though

 

 

[OldFord]

Fair play mate and congrats on the bounty

 

The outdoor life is a game of odds  and between Lady Luck & Mother Nature ... its a headache & heartbreaker ... but its highly addictive and awesome

 

Wishing you the very best of luck for next time mate

Edited September 29, 2023 by OldFord

[CustardVape]

Nice one dude , a great result!

This was my second year of growing autos in my garden as I'm unable to grow indoors , and it's certainly a challenge but very enjoyable and rewarding 

Best of luck next season with your outdoor adventures..