Curing and drying weed is the essential step in the lifecycle of a marijuana plant. Because if you don’t cure or dry the weed properly, it will make all your efforts go in vain. Even if it is the most crucial step, people barely know the proper ways of doing it.
People who work in the cannabis industry have gathered ample knowledge from many years of hard work and experience curing and drying weed properly. With this expert knowledge, you will also gain new perspectives if you are interested in growing cannabis.
Difference Between Drying And Curing Weed
Imagine you taking a shower and then rubbing your skin with a towel to dry it. Does the internal moisture of your skin go away as soon as you dry the skin? No, it doesn’t. The same theory is applicable for drying a weed also.
You just need to suck the moisture from the external surface of the marijuana bud. Ensure the pressure is correct while doing so because the drying process must not hamper the inside of the flower.
Now, curing weed is the process that manipulates the moisture inside the marijuana flower. The technical process of curing a weed means to ensure the chemical reactions of the bud. Remember the old saying, ‘wine tastes better with age?’ That is the same concept applied in curing a weed.
You have to let the interior of the bud dry but simultaneously also restraint it from dying. If the curing is proper, then only it will have a good flavor, a perfect smell, and a good impact on your mind as you intake it.
Steps To Dry And Cure Weed In The Right Way
Step 1: You need to harvest your marijuana plant at the right time. Then, trim the leaves a little because the leaves contain more chlorophyll than the pot buds and with improper trimming. you will get a harsh feeling after you take the first inhale. So, trim the big sugar leaves and make sure to have a carbon scrubber or exhaust fan in the room.
Where you do the trimming to avoid the all-consuming smell of marijuana. Once you trim the sugar leaves, cut the fan leaves because they are the more giant leaves. If they are left on the bud, it will harm your lungs.
Step 2: You need to know how to dry weed. You need to hang the pot buds upside down in a dark room for at least five days. The ideal temperature for drying weed is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 23 degrees Celsius, and the air must have 50% humidity. Now, it depends upon where you stay, so make sure to use an air conditioner to adjust the temperature. You don’t need a separate room to dry weed. But some strings and hooks in your room or a closet can also work as long as the temperature is right.
Step 3: Do a more detailed trim on the buds when they feel crispy. Now, be very gentle while testing them, and you can also take seven days to over dry them because it is better to overdo the drying process to make perfect cannabis. Finally, the buds that will not be consumed take those off the stems. Now, trim the sugar leaves once again and only keep the pot flowers.
Step 4: Store the buds into air-tight jars. Keep the jars full up to three quarters at least, and don’t overstuff them. Shake the jar once you have moved all the buds inside, and if they move, that means you have done it right. If they don’t move, that means you have done it too tight, so use as many jars as you want but pack them loosely.
Step 5: Store the jars at the correct temperature at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 65% humidity. Don’t keep them under direct sunlight even when they are in the pot. You can use a hygrometer to check if the moisture of the jar is proper. Open the jars at least once a day in the first week to prevent bacteria growth. If it seems alright, then open the pot once in two weeks and then start spreading it once in a month for a few months to dry and cure the weed appropriately.
What To Do If You Find Moisture In The Jar?
Too much moisture in the jar can create bacteria in your weed. So, even after following all the steps correctly, if you feel there is slight moisture in the pot, don’t panic. It means that you have figured out how to dry weed, and now it is on the path to undergo a good curing process. Since for the first few weeks, you will open your jar once a week or once in two weeks; you will identify the moisture early. Then, keep the pot open for at least 20 minutes to an hour if you feel the water dry them again.
Why Is It Important To Dry And Cure Weed?
How to dry weed and cure weed is a question many cannabis lovers ask, but without proper guidance on the importance of these two steps, they end up making faulty products. Drying and curing weed is essential because they can make the smoking experience a lot better. If you feel a harsh feeling with the first puff, the product is not correct, which can also hamper your lungs. However, if the weed is appropriately dried and cured, then you will have a smooth feeling as you inhale it.
Without proper drying and curing, the moisture content inside the bud will retain, and that will give birth to bacteria. It will create a contaminated product, which will be harmful to the people who will smoke it. Furthermore, the aroma and flavor of the weed will not be up to the mark if the drying and curing process is not patiently done. Even the buyers will have to spend a lot of time drying the weed themselves if they find it too harsh as they smoke, so that will destroy your reputation as a cannabis producer too.
Conclusion
You must remember at least 2-4 weeks of curing is necessary for creating a righteous cannabis product that will ensure an excellent high. It does not matter whether you work in the cannabis industry or want to grow it because you like it; the steps of curing and drying the weed will be similar in both cases.
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