Drying and curing your marijuana buds

You should know by now that drying and curing cannabis buds is a critical post-harvest process, in case you didn’t already know. This is a process that can improve the taste and overall quality of your marijuana crop. After you’ve harvested your crops, celebrating the milestone is easy because all of your hard work has produced yields from your farm.

But your work is not finished as you don’t have to cure and dry the marijuana right away. Curing involves slowly drying your marijuana buds in a cool place. Then you need to keep the dried buds in strong mason jars for a few weeks.

Pretty soon you will be able to smell that marijuana smell and the most refreshing taste. This is one of the best deals you can get on your cannabis plant and that’s why we’re talking about it.

Curing marijuana increases potency.

You don’t have to worry about the growing and harvesting process when growing cannabis for fun. But if you want to get strong marijuana, you have to be ready to go through the curing and drying process.

During biosynthesis, the marijuana plant releases tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and other cannabinoids. The process involves converting some compounds into several mixtures (a good example is THCA becoming THC).

Your inability to effectively cure cannabis means it is lower in THC and other cannabinoids. When you cut the marijuana plant, make sure it is kept at temperatures of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintaining the right humidity is critical as this will activate the biosynthetic process so that your plant is full of THC.

The hardening affects the taste and the smoke quality

If you didn’t know, now you know that the distinctive smell and pleasant taste of marijuana that you like is due to the terpene it contains. But these terpenes are fragile compounds that are also volatile; they could evaporate or even decompose when exposed to very low temperatures.

The companies that mass-produce low-quality cannabis use fast, very hot marijuana drying. How curing and drying will break down your plant: if you use boiling drying methods. For excellent quality buds, you will need to use a slow curing process to maintain the terpene content.

When cannabis is poorly cured, it creates an environment for bacteria and enzymes to break away from any unwanted materials. It also allows for the breakdown of any unhealthy sugars that build up when chlorophyll breaks down. The sugars and minerals cause an uncomfortable burning sensation in the throat when smoking cannabis.

Curing will preserve your marijuana.

If you plan to store your marijuana for a long time, you need quality curing processes. When the plant is properly cured, you can store it in an airtight container for up to two years, with the plant retaining its potency. If you store it in any other way, it can lose its cannabinoid substance, making it prone to mold.

How to dry and cure your marijuana

The key to preventing your cannabis plant from being negatively affected when you cure or dry it is to learn how to do it effectively. You have to learn to dry and cure the buds so that they retain all of their goodness and are still very fragrant when smoked.

If you expose your marijuana to high nighttime humidity in coastal areas, the weed will harden quickly and cannabis placed in such locations is at an increased risk of mold infestation. The best time for any grower to cure and dry is winter or fall.

If you live in a warmer climate or at an altitude (Denver is a good example), the situation is different. In Nevada and Arizona, the temperature can be anywhere from 28 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit for a year of low humidity. Some growers use paper bags to dry cannabis, but some also question this technique.

For example, if you live in Ap Denver at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes even up to 100 degrees in the summer, you need to watch your curing and drying process closely. The cannabis buds should ideally react like a marshmallow when pressed.

When the plants are dehydrated, they will fall apart and turn into a dry powder. While it is easy to cure and dry small amounts of weed, the bigger challenge is to do so with commercial amounts. When curing and drying in retail stores, don’t assume any specific altitude, humidity, or temperature you need. You need to care about what the plants need at this point and stick to it.

Remember to ventilate your drying room well so that fresh air from the surrounding area can enter. Make sure you have proper odor control to get rid of the stale air and if the temperature is very low it can lead to high chlorophyll marijuana, which is not good enough. Some growers ice-dry or freeze-dry the plants, but only use this technique if you are certain that it will benefit your plant’s health.

What are proactive ways to dry your cannabis?

Before you take on the drying and curing process, make sure you have this equipment:

Bottom line

In the past, not much attention was paid to the drying and curing process. In fact, it was about selling as much marijuana as possible, which also resulted in a significant part of the process being neglected. This also helps explain the poor quality of weed that has been increasing in the market.

Today, competition in the industry has led several marijuana producers to pay more attention to the curing and drying of their products. Fortunately, you don’t need any special equipment, which means you can do it at home with your home grown marijuana.

Make sure you start the process early after harvest so you don’t risk compromising the quality of the plant. There’s a fine line between overdrying and not drying enough. By practicing consistently, you can become a master.

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