Before And After The Cure, Proper Bud Curing? Proper bud curing, you’ve grown and harvested your plants, now what? What does the process look like? How do I cure my cannabis flowers properly and give them the best possible finish for a great smoke? First off, let’s talk about how to store it. If you’re buying from a dispensary or a local farmer that is growing in an enclosed space with proper air circulation, they should be curing their buds already. However, if you are growing your own cannabis outdoors like me, then storing it correctly is going to be extremely important.
When I first started growing my own weed, I didn’t have any experience using a vaporizer, so I figured it would just dry out naturally over time or I could simply store it in a sealed jar until I got around to smoking it. This was very bad for many reasons. Firstly, when cannabis is exposed to air, it oxidizes which results in a loss of flavor and aroma. Secondly, moisture causes mold and fungus growth on the buds. Lastly, exposure to oxygen will cause your buds’ trichomes to turn cloudy. With all these negative side effects, you don’t want to expose your buds to air at all costs.
Cannabis Class: Before And After The Cure, Proper Bud Curing?
The pre-cured cannabis bud looks like your typical nugget. Many tiny, well-packed red-orange hairs protrude from the bud. If you look closely, you can see a few tiny trichomes on the exterior of the flower. It is worth noting that this particular example has been pre-trimmed and has no excess leaves.
What does bud look like after it’s cured?
After curing your bud, the nuggets will look like they’ve been rubbed down with baby powder. The hair color will fade to an ashy gray color, and many trichomes will start to fall off. However, it is essential to note that those trichomes contain most cannabinoids and terpenes within the flower.
How to cure your harvest
Many people put small paper or plastic bags over each nugget to prevent it from drying out too quickly when hanging to cure. Make sure not to pack the buds down in these bags too tightly–you want there to be room for air circulation! Another technique people use is to cut open a brown paper lunch bag and place the buds inside it. Still another way is to use a silicon baking tray with many dime-size holes, allowing for airflow.
Curing your Stems
Many people do not realize that cannabis stems also benefit from curing after harvesting. The stems can be fixed by hanging them dry out or laying them out on parchment paper. The branches are typically very dense and can take much longer to dry than the bud itself, sometimes upwards of a week to ten days!
Cure Buds For Vape Pens/E-cigs
Many people prefer vaping because it is fast-acting, and they love the flavor. The bud must be adequately cured before using it in a vape pen because, otherwise, chances are you will end up with a harsh tasting puff. To avoid this, make sure to dry the buds after harvesting and before cutting them down.
Curing Buds To Avoid Mold
Though cannabis naturally has anti-fungal properties, it is susceptible to mold while growing and curing. It is a good idea to check your flowers frequently for signs of mold or a musty smell. If a few buds have contracted mold while being cured, the problem can be remedied by removing them from the bunch before they begin spoiling other buds nearby.
Curing Buds To Enhance Flavor
Many people who smoke cannabis prefer the smoother, more refined flavors of properly cured buds over fresh ones. Curing allows the terpenes in your flower to fully develop and come through when smoking, vaping, or cooking with cannabis. This process takes a few weeks, so be patient!
Curing Buds To Increase Potency
Some people believe that curing buds increases their potency. Potency, as it pertains to marijuana, means the concentration of THC and other cannabinoids within the bud. A study by J.M. McPartland et al . found that “curing does not increase the total amount of cannabinoids in the bud but instead increases their relative proportion.” The theory is that curing makes the plant material drier. This allows the THC to bind more effectively with the available cannabinoids, increasing potency.
Curing Cannabis Buds To Prevent Mold Or Rot
Some people cure their cannabis buds to prevent mold or rot during storage. If you are not planning on smoking your cannabis or cooking with it, curing is a good way of keeping the flowers fresh for a few months before they begin to degrade. Some people recommend storing cannabis in airtight containers with Boveda humidity packs to ensure the flower remains as close to its natural humidity as possible without going bad.
Curing Cannabis Buds With Two Chambers
Many advanced cannabis smokers prefer to cure their buds in two separate chambers. This is done by drying the buds for five days and then placing them in an airtight glass jar with a humidity pack attached. After another week of hanging, they are moved to an entirely separate container with no humidity at all. At this point, you can continue drying them if necessary, or you can transfer them to a jar with humidity for another week and enjoy your smooth, tasty smoke!
Cannabis Curing – Drying
The drying process is where the magic happens, and curing starts. This stage of the cannabis cultivation process requires patience and discipline. The drying room should be dark and well-ventilated to allow for proper airflow. If the buds are left in direct sunlight or a closed container, they can lose their potency quickly!
Buds should be dried until about 80% of the moisture has evaporated away. Although there is no exact science, it is easy to tell when your buds are dry enough because they will feel lighter, and the stems will snap instead of bend.
If your weed is already cured and you want to dry it again, make sure not to place it in a container or jar with humidity because this can re-moisten the flowers and potentially ruin them! Instead, place the buds on a paper towel in an open space.
Cannabis Curing – Storing
Once the buds are properly dried, it is time to store them. You can place your flowers in glass jars or plastic containers with airtight seals. Some people recommend using Mylar bags or food-grade plastic bags instead of traditional storage containers because they are more challenging to penetrate and keep out light during curing. These bags can be reused if cleaned well between uses!
Once your cannabis has completely dried and cured, you are ready to smoke it or use it for whatever purpose suits your needs! Happy curing!
Cannabis Curing – Finishing Up
After the weed has been properly dried and the moisture level is where you want it, you can move them to a sealable container for storage! It would be best if you stored your flower in a cool, dark place that is not constantly fluctuating in temperature. Some people recommend using a refrigerator or freezer but be sure to keep your weed away from the coldest areas because this will cause the trichomes to fall off and make it less potent!
