Not sure what to do next

[Makeminefullgrown]

Hello all, I recently harvested two small autos that I stunted badly in the first weeks from seed. I really feel lucky to have anything at all and the quality is A/A- according to my own scale.
Anyway, the most ideal conditions I could manage for drying was in a spare room where the temps were 69-71F and the RH was spot on 60% most of the time. The RH may have fluctuated 1-2% up and down a couple times but it was really consistent for the most part.
I dried the buds hanging with most of the fan leaves on and the plants were in a couple different sections.
I really wanted to drag the dry out as long as possible…..and I weighed a couple of the bigger sections every day and recorded the weight loss.
After day 8 they were really dry…..they had not lost any weight over the previous 12-18 hours and I was getting scared of drying too long.
So I trimmed them up and was able to get a little over 2oz of good sized nuggets….not counting the small popcorn that I gave away to be cooked with.
Anyway, one jar is CdLC from Mephisto and the other Gelato.
I have a couple of hygrometers that I trust as being accurate and threw them in the jars…..this was last night.
This morn the CdLC reads 62% but the Gelato is at 57%.
While growing and during the trim, Both strains had strong odors and smelled just like you want. I know it’s been less than 24hrs so I should really let some more time pass.
But still I’m afraid I may have let the Gelato dry too long……will it cure OK at 57%?
Also, I expected a little more funky dank smell when I opened the jars…..I kinda got it from the Gelato, but the CdLC had a slight green grassy smell….not too bad but just a hint.
My question is whether I should put a Boveda pack (62%) in the jars??? Particularly the Gelato.??
I have the jars in the very back of my wine fridge on the bottom shelf, which stays at 62F, and is dark.
Last ?, how often should I be burping ?

 

[Phytoplankton]

You may find the rh goes up slightly once they sit in the jar a day or so. 57% rh is right on the edge, but I think you’ll be ok. You are going to get a “grassy” smell, it takes a while to break down the chlorophyll, which is what you gives that smell. I prefer to put the Boveda in after the curing is complete, but I don’t see why you couldn’t put one in.

 

[TorturedSoul]

how often should I be burping ?

As you're measuring the relative humidity in the jars... when that RH rises? That's for "burping." If the inner portions of the buds are still so moist that, when left undisturbed, the formerly dry(ish) outer portions become "wet" again from the moisture level of those buds equalizing... then that's not exactly burping, that's a continuation of the drying process. In which case, the answer would seem to be "whenever you need to." Might be every few hours (or less), depending on how not-dry the buds in question actually are.

By the way, I assume you understand that a hygrometer, while indicative of the moisture content of one's buds, if used over time to track relative humidity trends, is not able to directly tell you what the actual moisture content of your buds is. A hygrometer only measures relative humidity of the air in a space. Which is to say, how much moisture is in that air, in relation to the actual amount that the air is capable of holding at its current temperature. Devices that are used to measure the moisture content of a substance are - aptly - called moisture meters. According to Bob Vila's website, a highly rated one for wood is the Wagner Meters Orion 940 Pinless Wood moisture meter. But I don't know that it would work for bud, lol. There are different ones for different applications; farmers use the things to test certain crops to determine if/when those crops are within the acceptable moisture range for harvesting.

There is at least one such device intended specifically for cannabis. It's called the Triminator (because, apparently, stoners buy products that have "inator" in their names ) Moisture Content Meter, and it appears to measure moisture content levels from 7% to 35%. There may be others; I just did a search for "moisture meter for bud" and it was the first result in the list of web pages.

One way you can measure moisture content - assuming you've allowed your bud to more or less equalize by sitting undisturbed in a jar that's mostly full of them - is to take a small sample, weigh it, and dry it in your oven until it's "crunchy dry." Then measure it again, and use simple math. You'd get higher accuracy with an accurate scale and a large sample, but that's probably not necessary. If your sample weighs a gram to begin with, and weighs .91 gram after you've thoroughly dried it, then you can assume that it originally had a 9% moisture content. Again, allow the moisture content to equalize before grabbing a sample.

 

[TorturedSoul]

You may find the rh goes up slightly once they sit in the jar a day or so. 57% rh is right on the edge, but I think you’ll be ok. You are going to get a “grassy” smell, it takes a while to break down the chlorophyll, which is what you gives that smell. I prefer to put the Boveda in after the curing is complete, but I don’t see why you couldn’t put one in.

You posted your reply while I was busy rambling on, lol.

Yes, those things are best (and probably intended) for maintaining the RH, not for adjusting it initially.

Back in the day, folks just got bud how they wanted it and then packed it into well-sealed containers. And, later, people used vacuum-sealer devices to do the same thing. Seal something up inside a container that is of no greater volume than that thing occupies... and there is nowhere else for its moisture to go. If one, instead, throws a pea into a gallon-sized jar, that SOB is going to dry out. . . .

 

[Phytoplankton]

You posted your reply while I was busy rambling on, lol.

Yes, those things are best (and probably intended) for maintaining the RH, not for adjusting it initially.

Back in the day, folks just got bud how they wanted it and then packed it into well-sealed containers. And, later, people used vacuum-sealer devices to do the same thing. Seal something up inside a container that is of no greater volume than that thing occupies... and there is nowhere else for its moisture to go. If one, instead, throws a pea into a gallon-sized jar, that SOB is going to dry out. . . .

That’s what we did back in the 70’s, I remember getting my first Seal-a-Meal, that thing was great. I found a sealed bag about a year ago that was in a box in the garage from my old Humboldt daze, it was 40 years old, and while the quality wasn’t there anymore, it was still pretty moist and smokeable.

 

[Makeminefullgrown]

So I think I understand the process, at least better than before. But, I’m confused on whether or not I should burp the slightly over dried jar, which is sitting at a steady 57%….??? Or, let it sit tight in its cool dark spot ? Doesn’t the air exchange need to take place ?
And I guess if I do burp it, i would do so quickly without allowing the buds to get any drier?
Any input is appreciated big time….thanks

 

[TorturedSoul]

When people talk about "burping" containers of bud, they're doing it to allow moisture (humid air) to escape. Or because they read about others doing it, I suppose.

It's not really going to "un dry" bud, unless you live in an Amazon jungle and leave the lid off for more than just a few seconds.