DrZiggy's Low And Slow Drying: Maximizing Your Harvest

[Lowender]

think it took me approximately 7 fridge drys to find my sweet spot.

Hello!

7!! welp.. I'll be back in like 4 years!

When youre ready to check dryness, do you still pit the bud in jars for an hour or so to gauge humidity? I've seen people say to leave in a jar over night too. Which seems like a long time if they aren't ready.

I'm reading as much of this thread as I can, but man. It's like years of knowledge and trial and error. Info overload! Ha

Just want to try and avoid the dreaded hay smell. The tent smells sooooooo good right now.

Definitely appreciate yalls expertise and sharing your experiences!

 

[SmokingWings]

Have a frost free fridge set up, temp has been cycling around 40-45 degrees F, rh is low (averaging around 19%) but I assume this is normal until I get the harvest in there.

Once the harvest is in the fridge the humidity should go up a bit as moisture is pulled from the buds and wicks through the paper bags. I use the kitchen fridge and since there is food in it we keep the temperatures a mite bit lower, usually in the mid to upper 30s when I have measured. I figure that the lower temps help to slow down the dry.

Also, is it best to buck the buds off of their stems before putting into bags?

since we are trying to slow things down, I'm guessing stems would slow it down even more? Not sure if that's desired or not yet. Ha..

I leave most of the buds on the stems. Those stems become part of how I try to control how slow everything drys out. Some people mention using pieces of stem as a way to control the humidity after putting their harvest in a jar if they do not use humidity packs.

Once I start putting the harvest in the jars I will buck the buds, not all of them but most. I still leave some on the stems while in the jars.

Any tips or things to watch for that yall wish you were aware of your 1st time using a fridge to do low n slow would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Write down the day the harvest goes into the bag and into the fridge. Sure beats trying to guess later. I feel that we naturally add time the more we think about these little things. Before long we think it has been a week when it has only been 3 or 4 days.

When youre ready to check dryness, do you still pit the bud in jars for an hour or so to gauge humidity? I've seen people say to leave in a jar over night too. Which seems like a long time if they aren't ready.

Nope. It stays into the bag until ready for the jars. None of the putting into the jar and then taking out to put back into the paper bags.

You might notice that after 5 to 7 days that the buds feel like they suddenly dried out too much. Don't panic. If I notice something like that I will take the bags out of the fridge and leave on the kitchen table for an hour or two. Then open the bag and check the buds again and they will have magically returned to feeling like they are a bit moist and still drying/curing. So, back in the fridge it goes.

 

[Lowender]

Once the harvest is in the fridge the humidity should go up a bit as moisture is pulled from the buds and wicks through the paper bags. I use the kitchen fridge and since there is food in it we keep the temperatures a mite bit lower, usually in the mid to upper 30s when I have measured. I figure that the lower temps help to slow down the dry.


I leave most of the buds on the stems. Those stems become part of how I try to control how slow everything drys out. Some people mention using pieces of stem as a way to control the humidity after putting their harvest in a jar if they do not use humidity packs.

Once I start putting the harvest in the jars I will buck the buds, not all of them but most. I still leave some on the stems while in the jars.


Write down the day the harvest goes into the bag and into the fridge. Sure beats trying to guess later. I feel that we naturally add time the more we think about these little things. Before long we think it has been a week when it has only been 3 or 4 days.


Nope. It stays into the bag until ready for the jars. None of the putting into the jar and then taking out to put back into the paper bags.

You might notice that after 5 to 7 days that the buds feel like they suddenly dried out too much. Don't panic. If I notice something like that I will take the bags out of the fridge and leave on the kitchen table for an hour or two. Then open the bag and check the buds again and they will have magically returned to feeling like they are a bit moist and still drying/curing. So, back in the fridge it goes.

Thank you for the awesome insight!

I can turn my fridge down a degree or 3 too. I do have some canned beverages and a gallon water jug in there to act as a little bit of ballast. It's been averaging at around 44°F.

Didn't want to accidentally set it low enough where it would be right at or above 32° just before the cooling cycle ends, and wasn't sure how cold was 'too cold'.

Is it still recommended to do around 28g per paper bag?

One plant turned out to be a foxtailer, so im not sure how I'm going to break that one down yet. Is smells and looks amazing, but it also looks like stems in the many 'tails' on that one. won't know until I get started i guess. Lol

Do you gauge dryness by feel if you aren't checking the rh in jars with hygrometers after 7-10 days?

I get that it takes many grows to really get a feel for things from seedling to cure. I'm kind of methodical kind of guy, so just trying to get a process figured out that I can follow this first time around.

Thx again!

 

[weenmeoff]

Hey all! 1st time grower hitting my 1st harvest likely in the next 1-2 days.

Have been lurking in this thread for months, it's huge!

Have a frost free fridge set up, temp has been cycling around 40-45 degrees F, rh is low (averaging around 19%) but I assume this is normal until I get the harvest in there.

Is there a general consensus about wet vs dry trimming when using the low and slow method? Think I've seen people in this thread trimming the big fans but leaving sugar leaves, and others doing full wet trims.

Also, is it best to buck the buds off of their stems before putting into bags?

since we are trying to slow things down, I'm guessing stems would slow it down even more? Not sure if that's desired or not yet. Ha..

I'm pumped for my 1st harvest, but am now into another brand new part of growing (drying!) and want to do what I can to not mess this part up! A bit nervous to be honest!

Any tips or things to watch for that yall wish you were aware of your 1st time using a fridge to do low n slow would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

You got this! Props to you for finding this and going for it on your 1st grow! You're going to love it! I wet trim, rough job just getting the big stuff off. I wash and then hand for 3-4 hours, then i chunk it out, leaving a little stem on (I believe but cannot prove that it slows down the process, slow and steady) so I cut above and below each bud cluster leaving an inch or two of the stem, then mix the size of the buds in the bag. You don't really need to check on them much but at minimum, check to make sure the moisture is not too high, i.e. bags are wet from condensation. Plus, opening the fridge is one of the benefits of this method. Good luck and keep us posted!

Cheers!

 

[weenmeoff]

Yup, approx 28 grams plus or minus. Ive used bigger lunch (not shopping) bags and probably put close to 2 zips in wet....? It varries but I think 10-14 days is a better range and you can feel them dry on the outside with a bouncy/spongy feel, stems will almost snap but not quite. Get some hygometers, I like my HyLIds.

 

[SmokingWings]

Didn't want to accidentally set it low enough where it would be right at or above 32° just before the cooling cycle ends, and wasn't sure how cold was 'too cold'.

Not sure that it really means a lot but I also used the fridge we had in the back room. That one would drop down to the low 30s when we were not opening it up as much. Stuff would sometimes freeze if I had shoved it up near where the vent from the freezer section if not paying attention. Never did seem to have any really noticeable effect on drying time, etc.

Never did run a comparison dry between the two to see if I would notice a difference in time. And never will be able to since that fridge is now going to be given to the metal recycle guy when I get around to it.

Do you gauge dryness by feel if you aren't checking the rh in jars with hygrometers after 7-10 days?

Yes. Also the snap test on the sticks and stems as @weenmeoff mentioned.

I get that it takes many grows to really get a feel for things from seedling to cure. I'm kind of methodical kind of guy, so just trying to get a process figured out that I can follow this first time around.

Is it still recommended to do around 28g per paper bag?

I started off drying in the larger grocery store paper bags and putting them on shelves out of the way. There were times when it felt like the end result was something that did not dry all the way or was over dry.

Then the discussion on this low and slow in the fridge caught my eye. It reminded me of more traditional methods of preparation and storage, similar to storing foods, etc after a harvest. Plus I know several guys who are into cigars and storing their expensive purchases. It all fit together on how this sort of thing was done back in the the old days when it was by experience.

As for the amounts. I have been able to do up to 2 oz in those paper bags. Takes maybe an extra day or two as compared to a harvest that is just under an ounce.

As for getting a process figured out most of it will start to fall into place even in the first attempt.

A lot of the times, I will do the cut and trim and wash and dry that excess water over several days and without even giving it any thought. Then into the bags and into the fridge and will not do a progress check for a week.

Ain't long and I think we start to trust the method more than our reactions to how the buds feel when we check. It will all fall into place.

 

[InTheShed]

It's been averaging at around 44°F.

Didn't want to accidentally set it low enough where it would be right at or above 32° just before the cooling cycle ends, and wasn't sure how cold was 'too cold'.

This method was originally set up to be run in a standard kitchen frost-free fridge, so here in the US most are set for 37ºF by default.

 

[Lowender]

Thanks so much yall!

Since we are solidly into fall here, and my 1st run, I am having big doubts that I'd be able to get the humidity under control in my tent for a traditional hang dry. Right now, my basement where the tent is is around 37% rh.

Found this thread like 3 months ago, amd was sold! I'll try and mess with the fridge a little to try and get it to 37-40°. It's a magic chef frost free, and will be for drying only! Ha

 

[SmokingWings]

Found this thread like 3 months ago, amd was sold! I'll try and mess with the fridge a little to try and get it to 37-40°. It's a magic chef frost free, and will be for drying only!

My suggestion is to use part of the fridge for the reason it was built. That is, put stuff in it and take stuff out. Got some leftovers from dinner then put them in a smaller container and put that in the fridge. All this will change the humidity and temperatures inside the unit and allow it to go through the various cycles.

If I want my fridge to dry the bag or two of buds then I need it to cycle through all the things it was built to do. There is nothing that I can set to control the humidity. So, I have to have the fridge turn the fans and pull air from one area to another to create the air currents. The best way I can figure to do this is to actually use the thing and open/close the door, put food stuff in and take it out and generally move things around.

 

[Lowender]

My suggestion is to use part of the fridge for the reason it was built. That is, put stuff in it and take stuff out. Got some leftovers from dinner then put them in a smaller container and put that in the fridge. All this will change the humidity and temperatures inside the unit and allow it to go through the various cycles.

If I want my fridge to dry the bag or two of buds then I need it to cycle through all the things it was built to do. There is nothing that I can set to control the humidity. So, I have to have the fridge turn the fans and pull air from one area to another to create the air currents. The best way I can figure to do this is to actually use the thing and open/close the door, put food stuff in and take it out and generally move things around.

That is a really good point about using the fridge to help it 'run' and to cycle some air.

Going to begin harvesting shortly here after i finish my coffee!

 

[Lowender]

As for the amounts. I have been able to do up to 2 oz in those paper bags.

Welp, I may have to do this. The fridge I'm using isn't a full size, it's around 7.3 cu ft, and am quickly running out of room. I went way too big with the zkittles plant and its not all chopped yet. Still have a 2nd plant to get to as well, but isnt as big.

Or I just freeze the rest of zkittles for some bubble hash, and try to get as much of the other plant in there as I can and freeze the rest of that one too. Too much isn't a bad problem to have I guess.. lol

Humidity is really low here now, so tent drying the rest may not be ideal either.

 

[Ugenius]

Congrats on the harvest Sr! Low and slow is the way to go (if you have a spare fridge ).

The reason for the flush is so the plant does not take up any more nutrients ending up when harvesting a plant fully loaded with unused nutrients.

 

[InTheShed]

The reason for the flush is so the plant does not take up any more nutrients ending up when harvesting a plant fully loaded with unused nutrients.

You should read the posts about flushing in my signature and see if that gives you a different perspective. Flowers don't give up nutrients and you're not smoking the rest of the plant.

 

[Lowender]

Alrighty! Got 1.2(ish) lbs of wet goodies in the fridge from the harvest over the weekend!

Here is a question I never thought to ask.. since the fridge is obviously not in the grow tent, does the smell become more intense as the fridge runs and exhausts the processed air? Definately smelling the fruits of my labor waaay more now.

 

[InTheShed]

Alrighty! Got 1.2(ish) lbs of wet goodies in the fridge from the harvest over the weekend!

Here is a question I never thought to ask.. since the fridge is obviously not in the grow tent, does the smell become more intense as the fridge runs and exhausts the processed air? Definately smelling the fruits of my labor waaay more now.

Congrats on the harvest and the stuffed fridge! When I did low and slow in my kitchen fridge it only smelled when someone opened the door rather than all the time. Of course, being the kitchen fridge, the only time it wasn't being opened all the time was between midnight and 8am!

I don't think fridges vent internal air to the outside as that would mean there needs to be air intake, which would raise the temp every time it ran. It would also mean you would smell rotting lettuce even without peeking in the vegetable drawer!

 

[Lowender]

Congrats on the harvest and the stuffed fridge! When I did low and slow in my kitchen fridge it only smelled when someone opened the door rather than all the time. Of course, being the kitchen fridge, the only time it wasn't being opened all the time was between midnight and 8am!

I don't think fridges vent internal air to the outside as that would mean there needs to be air intake, which would raise the temp every time it ran. It would also mean you would smell rotting lettuce even without peeking in the vegetable drawer!

Very good points! I wonder if there is an air leak somewhere on this fridge. I think frost free units have a drain tube that empties into a small res under the fridge. Hm.

Definately smelled goodies as soon as I came in the door after work today. Don't get me wrong, I love it! My corp job, if I smell like it too, probably not so much. (Although I suspect my boss is a closet smoker.. lol)

 

[InTheShed]

Very good points! I wonder if there is an air leak somewhere on this fridge. I think frost free units have a drain tube that empties into a small res under the fridge. Hm.

I think it empties somewhere near the compressor and uses that heat to evaporate it. Must be some powerful weed to be saturating that water with terpenes!

 

[Lowender]

I have a 4in fan and filter I've been using to scrub the lung room. Think I'll try setting it up by the fridge to see if it helps or not

 

[Lowender]

I think it empties somewhere near the compressor and uses that heat to evaporate it. Must be some powerful weed to be saturating that water with terpenes!

This is hands down the STANKIEST dank I've ever smelled. Lol

(She foxtailed like a boss too)

 

[InTheShed]

This is hands down the STANKIEST dank I've ever smelled. Lol

Love the frost!