Harvest soon. Any info and tricks on proper dry and cure

Ok hopefully the last question here. Harvest is around the corner and I have have a few concerns. I’m worried about what happens if I under dry before cure…or if I over dry before cure… I hear 7 to 10 days. What about smaller buds. I have never done this so I don’t know what they are suppose to feel and look like. I just have read don’t go until branch snaps that is usually to much. So go until the outside has a little crisp but is still kind of spongy right. I really need to get this perfect. The time and money I have spent and honestly my plants so far “knock on wood” are flawless. So info on drying and when to know please. Now onto my questio. About curing. I have my jars and my hygrometer all ready to go. So I want to go minimum of 3 weeks correct. What should I expect. I hear you will at first have a weird hay and grass smell as u open it but eventually that will leave. I want it to stay between 55%-65% is 70 ok… is 68 ok… or just stay around 65. And how low is to low. If I put them in the jar and the humidity stays at like 50 and doesn’t change will it still be ok if I use a leaf or some drops of water to put in there to bring back moisture. Will they still cure properly if over dried. What is the idea humidity percentage I would like them to be at in the jar… and how will I for sure knkw they are cured. Will the humidity go down and stay down. Will I know because of the grass smell being gone…So any and all info on that please I could use help I like to be 100 % prepared wgich is why I think I have made it so far without a problem …either that or because I got lucky .or also a little of that I have don’e so much reading and asked so many questions and kept on top of things. Anyway please everyone you all are very knowledgeable your a big part of why I am where I am so far thanks

2 Likes

@BobbyDigital @Newt you two have helped me alot so any info you could share let me know I would appreciate it

OK… Here’s what I do, and it takes a lot the guesswork out of it. Your ideal dry will be about 7 days, but it’s hard to stay at 60 degrees and 60% humidity, so I use one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VDZP7N5?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details?Tag=greenrel-20
When a bud gets to 11-12% on the soft wood setting, it’s ready to start curing. Smaller buds may get there first, and you can start curing them first, just snip them off and place into your cure container. If you go into your container at 11-12% moisture content, you should level out around 64-65% RH in your container. You will want to monitor the RH in your container. I use these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HWG68TG?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details?Tag=greenrel-20
And then follow this general guide:
cannabis-harvest-curing-cheat-sheet
As for containers, most of what you read will refer to 32 ounce mason jars, and they work great, but must be burped regularly. I instead, opt to use Grove Bags as my cure containers. There’s a lot of info about them here: Anyone using "grove bags" to cure?. I personally think they are great! No burping required, (still follow the chart, though)

9 Likes

@Newt has you covered wall to wall.
I have developed a “feel” and a method without the pin tester although it intrigues me and I may look in to getting one.
I start by hanging whole plant in dark, well ventilated place for about 5+ days. When the buds feel a little crispy on the outside, I will cut the branches from the stalk and re-hang them for a couple more days. After a couple of days I cut the buds from the stem, trim and place in a large (hopefully need a large) bowl, drop a small hygrometer in there and cover it. When Rh holds at or close to 62% I place in Grove Bags for curing/storage. Done.

2 Likes

Dude thank guys. Killer right up @Newt this literally saved me from alot of stress and anxiety ill show u the hygrometer I bought they look close to the same and should work fine but ill put a pic to see what u have tosay ill be ordering that wood thing asap

2 Likes


I’m guessing these will be just as good @Newt ???

1 Like

Sure same=o, same-o.

2 Likes

@Newt I all my plants are done at the same time which will be really inconvenient if they are not … but if they are they will dry in the same place they grew which is 50ish rh and about 65-75 degrees… now of they are not done at the same time the room I have available le is like a steady 63-65 degrees and about 40ish rh… but you said ideal dry temp and rhythm is 60

1 Like

Sorry temp and rh both being about 60

60/60 is considered ideal. I can’t get there. :smile_cat:

I use a wedryer unless a really really good plant then i hang her and dry trim. If i hang it is in my 3x3 with a little meter and a small humidifier if need. Just me. I definatly get a better dry the long way but the wedryer is a boss also. Hanging for a dry trim kicks humidity in that tent up. Do not always have to kick on humidifier. Just what works for me. Next plant in que is a great girl and will hit tent. Last harvest wedryer.

Well for drying u want ur rh around 62% and ur temp around 65-70f the slower the better when drying make sure u have a small fan blowing air around ur drying space but dont have the fan blowing onto ur harvest because it will dry to fast

2 Likes

@Newt has you covered well. The moisture meter really takes all the guess work out of drying. Probably the most annoying part about growing (besides trimming) was finding out the buds you jarred/bagged weren’t dry enough. That meter will end that completely.

5 Likes

Good info. It is so arid here if I hang in ambient the are crispy critters in under 3 days.

2 Likes

Here’s a bonus trick set your dry room to 63% right before you trim them for 2-4 hours and that’ll adjust them to be closer to perfect by trim time

2 Likes

Only wish I had a dry tent! Need to get something working. I will soon have another closet available so maybe hang in there with a humidifier running and some carbon pigs for scent control?

1 Like

I’ve only really. Experienced the hay grass smell on ones that were pulled too soon if they r pulled at a sufficient time I believe that hay grass smell won’t be avail in the dry cure phase so it seems so far. I’ve thought ones were done so I’ve clipped a branch here and there for testing. If u ha e enough on the plant clip a branch and see what it does and u’ll know of all goes well with that one branch u’ll know the plant will be good as it has so many more days to ripen up a bit more than ur test branch. 48 hrs dark helps a ton also on tric buildup and all

@Newt so what am I going to do if my only option is to dry my bud in a room that is really dry say about 40-45% rh ??? I don’t want. To dry to fast . Should I mayne leave a fan off like say every other day

my plants will dry in 3 days if I just hang them until finished so what I do to slow the drying process I start by pulling off the fan leaves. then I hang them until they start getting a little crispy on the outside. once they seem dry in the outside i put them in a large container for 8 hours for moisture to be drawn out of the stem and hang them back up, I repeat that process until the smallest bud snaps off the main stem. at that point I brush off the dry sugar leaves remove buds from the stem and place in a container with a brava pack.

1 Like

The moisture meter will help.