DrZiggy's Low And Slow Drying: Maximizing Your Harvest

[Growmee]

Hello All!

Preparing for harvest in the morning and wanted to run some things by you all in hopes of not fucking this up.

I purchased a Magic Chef 2.6 cu. ft. Mini Fridge and it is sitting at 35F / 55RH on the lowest setting.

Is this going to be alright to move forward with things?

I was initially planning on spreading buds out on disposable grill racks that fit perfectly on the shelving in the fridge but have since been reading about the "28g per paper bag" method and will likely go that route.

Any last minute advice for me before I dive into this world of "Low & Slow"?

 

[GratefulBud]

Hello All!

Preparing for harvest in the morning and wanted to run some things by you all in hopes of not fucking this up.

I purchased a Magic Chef 2.6 cu. ft. Mini Fridge and it is sitting at 35F / 55RH on the lowest setting.

Is this going to be alright to move forward with things?

I was initially planning on spreading buds out on disposable grill racks that fit perfectly on the shelving in the fridge but have since been reading about the "28g per paper bag" method and will likely go that route.

Any last minute advice for me before I dive into this world of "Low & Slow"?

I've had success using large paper grocery bags and placing about 100 grams of flower inside each. Fold over top and clip closed. It will dry out to about an ounce. Open the bags once per day first 2-3 days then leave it for a few days. Gently tumble bags every day first few days to keep buds from getting flat spots.

Good luck!

 

[SmokingWings]

I purchased a Magic Chef 2.6 cu. ft. Mini Fridge and it is sitting at 35F / 55RH on the lowest setting.

About where I keep any fridge I am using for foods or drying buds. Have not had a problem with foods going bad and the drying of buds can take anywhere from 7 to 15 days.

 

[Growmee]

Here is a shot of the mini fridge in action! It's been 3 days now and all is going smoothly thus far thanks to the wealth of knowledge that has been shared on this thread.

Replaced the glass shelves with aluminum grill toppers for improved airflow. I considered laying the buds out on the racks but decided to go with the 28g per bag method for this first run. Lightly trimmed the buds in fairly uniform size for each bag.

Once a day I wipe down the walls and condenser to get rid of any moisture/ice build up (which there always is). Gently tap the bottom of each bag to move the buds around while I'm at it and shut it up again.

Temp is averaging around 40F with the RH in the upper 50's. I am not freaking out on the RH as this seems to be normal from what I've read. Buds have shrunken considerably in 3 days and are still quite moist as to be expected.

Picked up some Govee Smart Hygrometers and put one in the fridge so I can monitor the temp/RH without opening the fridge.

I cannot thank all of you contributors enough for the path that each of you have helped to carve out for us newcomers. Will continue to update on the progress through to the end.

Thank you!

 

[GratefulBud]

Here is a shot of the mini fridge in action! It's been 3 days now and all is going smoothly thus far thanks to the wealth of knowledge that has been shared on this thread.

Replaced the glass shelves with aluminum grill toppers for improved airflow. I considered laying the buds out on the racks but decided to go with the 28g per bag method for this first run. Lightly trimmed the buds in fairly uniform size for each bag.

Once a day I wipe down the walls and condenser to get rid of any moisture/ice build up (which there always is). Gently tap the bottom of each bag to move the buds around while I'm at it and shut it up again.

Temp is averaging around 40F with the RH in the upper 50's. I am not freaking out on the RH as this seems to be normal from what I've read. Buds have shrunken considerably in 3 days and are still quite moist as to be expected.

Picked up some Govee Smart Hygrometers and put one in the fridge so I can monitor the temp/RH without opening the fridge.

I cannot thank all of you contributors enough for the path that each of you have helped to carve out for us newcomers. Will continue to update on the progress through to the end.

Thank you!

Looks like you are on the right path to some righteous buds, Growmee!

If your top bag is touching the evaporator I would consider lowering that shelf. Last year I had a bag touching and several buds inside got a little frozen.

Good luck!

 

[Growmee]

Two weeks drying in the mini fridge were up yesterday. After letting the 3 different strains sit in jars overnight one was 53%, one was 63% and one was 73% (which is now back in the fridge).

All look good visually with a very slight hint of "green" smell to them yet but I'm assuming that will dissipate as they cure in jars for awhile. Terps in tact and no mold whatsoever.

Ordered some Integra Boost 62% RH 2-Way Humidity Control Packs in hopes of resurrecting the driest of the 3, along with some other strains from the dispensary that I have in stored in the fridge and are also dry.

Anyone have any experience with these? I have heard mixed reviews on the Boveda packs. The Integra packs supposedly do not have as much of a negative effect on terps and they are cheaper.

Overall, quite pleased with how things have turned out thus far. So nice (and easy) to have the consistency of temp and humidity in the mini fridge. Will update again once I get the humidity packs in place and the last strain out of the fridge.

Update: After reading through a recent post on another thread, I scrunched up a fresh leaf and threw it in with the 53% jar to try and get the RH up to acceptable levels. Thanks for the tip Trala!

 

[weenmeoff]

Also stems from the moister jars. No need for boost or boveda unless you plan on storing for a year or more and some would say 6 months. As with anything, especially with our favorite plant, there are so many ways to skin this cat and therev are two stages to every story, ha! I tend to think the humidity packs steal/soak up (not sure how to say) terpenes, so…….

Can’t wait for my next harvest!

 

[Trala]

Two weeks drying in the mini fridge were up yesterday. After letting the 3 different strains sit in jars overnight one was 53%, one was 63% and one was 73% (which is now back in the fridge).

All look good visually with a very slight hint of "green" smell to them yet but I'm assuming that will dissipate as they cure in jars for awhile. Terps in tact and no mold whatsoever.

Ordered some Integra Boost 62% RH 2-Way Humidity Control Packs in hopes of resurrecting the driest of the 3, along with some other strains from the dispensary that I have in stored in the fridge and are also dry.

Anyone have any experience with these? I have heard mixed reviews on the Boveda packs. The Integra packs supposedly do not have as much of a negative effect on terps and they are cheaper.

Overall, quite pleased with how things have turned out thus far. So nice (and easy) to have the consistency of temp and humidity in the mini fridge. Will update again once I get the humidity packs in place and the last strain out of the fridge.

Update: After reading through a recent post on another thread, I scrunched up a fresh leaf and threw it in with the 53% jar to try and get the RH up to acceptable levels. Thanks for the tip Trala!

Hi there

I’ve got to a point I don’t need Bovidas or what ever they’re called. I just go from paper bag to jar. The hydrometer thingys are the thing that keeps me on track.

Since I’ve controlled by insect problems I’ve stopped washing bud and started fridge drying my bud. It has gone from okay to oh yay!

I find it smells like not much from the fridge to the jar. But give it two weeks of cure time and the smell is like The Queen of Canna. I have three strains cured at the moment. And while they all smell different they all pack nose punch.

 

[InTheShed]

Ordered some Integra Boost 62% RH 2-Way Humidity Control Packs in hopes of resurrecting the driest of the 3, along with some other strains from the dispensary that I have in stored in the fridge and are also dry.

I use a piece of bread to rehydrate my flowers when they get low. I raised a turkey bag full of bud from 53 to 65% overnight. I find that the stems and leaves don't have enough oomph in them to move the needle quick enough, and time is off the essence to me.

 

[Growmee]

Integra Boost 62% packs did the trick for the dispensary herb I have in jars. No more dry brittle and back to nice spongy/moist feel.

Have been burping the fridge dried herb a 1/2 hour per day for a week. They seem to fluctuate but are holding around 65-68% after being sealed for 24hrs between burp sessions.

Smell is improving on 2 of the 3 but the 3rd is still smelling "hay like" unfortunately. This jar also has the most in it though which might have something to do with it.

Will keep up the 1/2 hour a day burps until they start to settle down both humidity and smell wise and update accordingly.

On a side note, new harvest in the morning and am going to dry on racks in the open air in the mini fridge to see if there is any difference from using the paper bags.

Fingers crossed on all counts.

 

[Growmee]

Current harvest in the mini fridge on cheap aluminum grill toppers from the $1 Store. They work great for make shift trays! Would have been a tight fit trying to get it all in there in bags.

Still following the protocol of daily burp and wipe downs to remove moisture from the condenser and walls.

Hoping for the best!

 

[InTheShed]

cheap aluminum grill toppers

Great find Growmee, with those holes for airflow!

 

[Trala]

Current harvest in the mini fridge on cheap aluminum grill toppers from the $1 Store. They work great for make shift trays! Would have been a tight fit trying to get it all in there in bags.

Still following the protocol of daily burp and wipe downs to remove moisture from the condenser and walls.

Hoping for the best!

What a great idea!

I’m thinking of buying my own fridge. I get sick of hearing my man cry when I empty the beer from his Mancave fridge lol.

 

[xPenDogg]

Hi all, I'm a few weeks from my first ever harvest and I have a spare fridge available for drying. Only thing is I've monitored the temp/humidity levels over the last few days and the temperature is stable ~40 degrees F but the humidity is between 15-20%. Most people I see have their fridge starting around 50% empty.

Is 15% too low humidity for Lotus Cure? Will my buds dry too quickly or will the humidity spike higher once I put the buds in?

I don't want to fuck up my first grow and since my plants will be finishing at different times I'm unable to use my grow tent for drying.

 

[SmokingWings]

Is 15% too low humidity for Lotus Cure? Will my buds dry too quickly or will the humidity spike higher once I put the buds in?

I don't want to fuck up my first grow and since my plants will be finishing at different times I'm unable to use my grow tent for drying.

When I have checked the temperature in our kitchen fridge it has been the upper 30s F. Have never checked the humidity and really do not worry about it either.

When I did my first plants I would do the trimming and put the buds into a brown paper grocery bag and put that on a shelf someplace dark where the temperature would stay in a range from 68 to 75 F depending on the time of day. Checked every day and when it felt right I would put the stash into a canning jar.

After that it was the typical curing steps that were talked about in the 2010s till the first of the 2020s when people started moving over to the low and slow fridge methods. That meant I opened the jar once or twice a day for a week or so and then every other day and then once a week.

Still have some from the first plant and small samples from many of the other plants that came along over the following years.

 

[Trala]

Hi all, I'm a few weeks from my first ever harvest and I have a spare fridge available for drying. Only thing is I've monitored the temp/humidity levels over the last few days and the temperature is stable ~40 degrees F but the humidity is between 15-20%. Most people I see have their fridge starting around 50% empty.

Is 15% too low humidity for Lotus Cure? Will my buds dry too quickly or will the humidity spike higher once I put the buds in?

I don't want to fuck up my first grow and since my plants will be finishing at different times I'm unable to use my grow tent for drying.

Hi there

My fridge is empty and my humidity in there sits at 15%.

I thought it would dry out fast too, but it doesn’t. My buds tell me it’s a perfect fridge cure environment.

 

[xPenDogg]

Hi there

My fridge is empty and my humidity in there sits at 15%.

I thought it would dry out fast too, but it doesn’t. My buds tell me it’s a perfect fridge cure environment.

Thanks for the replies. What was your humidity after adding the plants and how long did you dry before jarring them up? I don't plan on using paper bags but laying the fully trimmed buds out on drying racks. I have set up an 8 tier system in my fridge as I will be harvesting 3 very large plants. I hope it all fits. I will also add a small PC fan for air flow.

 

[Trala]

Thanks for the replies. What was your humidity after adding the plants and how long did you dry before jarring them up? I don't plan on using paper bags but laying the fully trimmed buds out on drying racks. I have set up an 8 tier system in my fridge as I will be harvesting 3 very large plants. I hope it all fits. I will also add a small PC fan for air flow.

I had no fan and I paper bagged. My fridge sits at 15% humidity.

Look it takes time to work it out. My first couple of dries weren’t actually true fridge dries coz the feel of the bud made me nervous. I would half dry fridge, half dry jar getting down to 63%. That’s not the idea. The idea is to take it from the fridge, straight to jar to cure and in the 61%-64% zone.

It’s hard to explain, but when the buds feel like “omg I fucked it”, they are ready to jar. I don’t know the science, but you tip it in the jar, wack in a reader and that humidity will climb right to where you need it. A poster called Granddaddy Black told me, you start to understand the feel. I don’t even look at mine for the first week. I used to flip the bags and fuck about, but now I kinda know.

One pointer thick bud, more time, thin and airy less. For me thick approx 10 days, thin 5-7.

 

[SmokingWings]

I had no fan and I paper bagged.

The brown paper bag is part of the way we can control how fast the moisture leaves the buds. At least that is how I figure it.

The only fan I have is the one that is already built into the fridge that comes on every now and again to blow cold air from the freezer side.

One pointer thick bud, more time, thin and airy less. For me thick approx 10 days, thin 5-7.

And it becomes part of the process to let nature take its course and use the moisture coming from the larger or thicker buds to help replace the loss of moisture from the smaller buds. Eventually it balances out and everything that went into the bag is pretty much at the same level.

A poster called Granddaddy Black told me, you start to understand the feel. I don’t even look at mine for the first week. I used to flip the bags and fuck about, but now I kinda know.

Then eventually you can take the bag out of the fridge and tell how far along without having to open it or handle the buds. Just the feel of the loss of weight is enough to give the feeling of how close or how much more time before jarring.

 

[Tejasdirt]

Hi all, I'm a few weeks from my first ever harvest and I have a spare fridge available for drying. Only thing is I've monitored the temp/humidity levels over the last few days and the temperature is stable ~40 degrees F but the humidity is between 15-20%. Most people I see have their fridge starting around 50% empty.

Is 15% too low humidity for Lotus Cure? Will my buds dry too quickly or will the humidity spike higher once I put the buds in?

I don't want to fuck up my first grow and since my plants will be finishing at different times I'm unable to use my grow tent for drying.

15% is about right for a empty fridge. The humidity comes from what’s in it. When you load up the fridge, the humidity will go up. My mini fridge goes up to 85% humidity when fresh loaded. Every time the fridge cycles to maintain the set temp, the cold air pulls out some moisture . I follow it with my govee humidity meter, and every day you can see the humidity go down.
The humidity goes up as the temp in the fridge goes up. When the compressor cuts on, I can see the humidity go back down. And every day, the max humidity level is lower.
If set at the proper temp ( for me and my mini fridge the proper temp is 38f.) the humidity will slowly go down as the cold air removes the moisture from the buds and the cold temps hold off any mold.
Trust the process

Thanks for the replies. What was your humidity after adding the plants and how long did you dry before jarring them up? I don't plan on using paper bags but laying the fully trimmed buds out on drying racks. I have set up an 8 tier system in my fridge as I will be harvesting 3 very large plants. I hope it all fits. I will also add a small PC fan for air flow.

No need for an extra fan. To me, Really is no reason for more air circulation as the fridge is does it naturally. I’ve overloaded my mini fridge (26oz wet with fan leaves removed and big buds broken down) due to necessity and ended up with around 6 oz dried.
No extra fan. No opening to wipe down.
Trust the process