After so much hard work, the moment that every expert or amateur grower has spent months waiting for has arrived: it is time to harvest and add the finishing touch to the marijuana. Ensuring that everything turns out correctly and for the buds to be good quality depending on the care you put into drying and curing the cannabis. Regardless of how good the crop is, if you commit an error during these two processes, the effort will all have been in vain.
It is essential to know how to cure and dry the buds of plants that you grow in order to get a quality product, to ensure that the marijuana gives off a delicious fragrance and that it has the power you are looking for. Otherwise, you will obtain buds that are too hard, that smell bad, or that even cause anxiety, headaches, and a bad feeling in the throat of consumers. Here is some advice to ensure that nothing goes wrong at the last moment.
Dry in a ventilated and dark place
In order to begin drying it is necessary to cut the branches of buds (eliminating the unwanted leaves) and leave them, ordered by size, in a ventilated and dark place, because light affects THC. The best thing is to keep the air warm and dry over the first few days and then to allow the atmosphere to be cool, although no air should be blowing directly on the product. Normally, this stage lasts between 4 and 14 days, although it will vary depending on the temperature of the place and the level of moisture; it will end when the branches break (and not fold) when pressure is placed on them. As is logical, in desert-like places the plants will dry faster than in those with tropical climates.
It is essential to remember that drying cannabis is just as important as the growing process and doing it badly can completely ruin the crop. Also, although this process and curing are separate, the latter process is influenced by the first one. During the drying process the water content in the buds should be reduced from 75% to 10% or 15%, and this is important for the THC to be psychoactive.
When not to cut the leaves
There are those that prefer to leave the leaves and not get rid of them until after the plant has dried. This is recommendable when the grower lives in a very dry zone and needs the leaves in order to delay the drying process itself. However, normally the most advisable thing is to cut the buds immediately after the harvest, given that later on the process will be must harder.
The importance of the first 3 days
Normally the majority of the water should be lost during the first 3 days of drying and, afterwards, the process should be slower. During these days the temperature should be around 20 ºC and then be reduced to around 17 ºC or 18 ºC. Likewise, during these days the moisture level should be around, 50%, and then increased to around 60% for the following days.
Controlling drying time
During this period you need to pay attention to the buds to make sure that they are not drying too quickly or slowly. Dry slowing will benefit the curing process and will ensure that the plant does not lose chlorophyll or become bitter. On the other hand, it is better for plant to have some moisture, and to achieve this, you can use different instruments such as heaters (in order to reduce moisture and speed up drying) or dehumidifiers. Also, you should not allow the buds to be touching one another, especially if there is a high moisture level.
Hanging the marijuana
The best drying is that which involves hanging the buds from their stems, from a high place, and facing downwards. The technique of “hanging in the air” will allow the air to circulate freely around the product, slowing the process down and making the subsequent curing process better quality. However, you also need to ensure that the place where you hang the marijuana is solid and there is no chance of it falling down. There is also another mode of drying where the branches with buds hang on a wire structure that can be moved around (for example, further way or closer to heaters or fans). If you use fans you need to be careful to ensure that some buds or sides do not dry before others.
Use nets
It is advisable to use nets that help drying if you live in very moist areas. These devices also help to make the process quicker by hanging the plant horizontally, and they ensure that no mould appears. Also, this system is suitable for when you are dealing with a large quantity of plants, as it usually is a good way of making the most of space as it is a vertical method made up of multiple layers. However, you need to bear in mind that one of the sides of the cannabis will end up being flattened. Whatever method used, you should never choose one that is intended to dry the product rapidly as this will mean it loses lots of it effects.
Open the containers several minutes each day
It is important to gather the buds and put them into brown bags (not white or transparent ones) when they are almost dry. Afterwards you will need to separate them from the remaining stem and put them in bottles. This marks the start of the curing process, just when the plant is giving off the same smell as when it was cut (the aim is for it to lose its greenish smell). At the start, it is advisable to put the buds into glass bottles or metal or wooden boxes that are air tight, medium sized and wide mouthed. You should do this for at least 2 weeks (although the best thing is to leave them for between 2 and 4 weeks) and open the containers for 1 to 2 minutes each day.
It is important not to fill the container completely, so that there is space for air at the top. Also, during the first few days the container should not be closed with too much pressure, so that air can continue to enter and improve the curing.
Controlling moisture
Following several days in the container you will notice that the plant becomes moist again, this is normal given that the moisture it contains gradually comes out of it. In cases where there is excessive moisture it is preferable to open the container for 1 to 2 hours, and even to take out the buds and put them into a plastic bag until they dry again and you can begin the curing process again in the container. By doing this you will make sure that the plant does not harden but also that it does not fill with mould or lose its fragrance. In cases where you detect fungi and mould it is necessary to act quickly to eliminate them.
Do not place other products into the container
It is not advisable to place any other products in the container to correct the water levels. There are, for example, those who normally use small pieces of potato with the aim of changing the moisture level of the marijuana, however, in reality this will only have a negative effect on the smell of the plant.
Do not cure for more than half a year
The second level of curing begins from the 4th week onwards and continues for up to 6 months. This normally has significant results, as among other things, over time the fragrance will change and it will become more appealing, the effects will be more powerful, while the taste will be smoother, although the cannabis will lose colour. The more cures the buds go through the smoother they will be when it comes to smoking them. However, curing for more than 6 months will only make the product lose quality. Cannabis will be completely cured when its moisture level is between 8% and 10% and when it is dry, crunchy and spongy at the same time.
After all of this time, and having overcome each process, the product is ready to be consumed, it will cause a lot of pleasure in the throat and lungs and its effects will be really beneficial. In order to obtain a quality product, you should not consume the marijuana too quickly after it is cut. The patience you have with the drying and curing of your marijuana will be really well rewarded.