Reave's Soilless: Peat, Bark, Sphagnum, Perlite, White Widow 2018

[Reave]

Yeh the stems were just barley snap sounding as you described in you journal. They still bend but make a sound. Not an actual brake.

 

[West Hippie]

Yeh the stems were just barley snap sounding as you described in you journal. They still bend but make a sound. Not an actual brake.

You just thought growing was tuff , the harvest can be ruff without a complete climate control.

 

[Reave]

Got My jars in the 60% area. Can I stop burping at this point and seal them for good? or how long does that go on?

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Don't know for sure on that one but right now my ambient air temps. and rh. are perfect, (71f,61%rh) so I have been checking my jars once a week. Seven weeks since first jared, and all seems good for the longer storage.

 

[West Hippie]

I usually stop after a 7 day burping, then a week later pull a sample out of one jar , then the next week another jar test .

 

[Emilya Green]

I too am a fan of sampling out of my various jars on a regular basis. I would guess that my jars never go a week or more without a small burp. If I had a larger stockpile of buds though, I think I would still try to burp once a week for the first few months, and then once a month, just to get rid of any gasses building up in there.

 

[Reave]

Thanks guys that’s what I needed.

 

[SlyTown420]

Someone needs to invent the self burping lid.

[Edit] OMG they exist!

 

[SlyTown420]

Would these self burping lids work? If they work, why does no one use them?

• Fool-Proof Waterless Valve — Our lids include one-way waterless valves that helps you automatically vent gases and prevent oxygen exposure, perfect the fermentation process. Besides, airtight to keep coffee, juice and more stay fresh longer.

 

[Reave]

Interesting.

 

[Mr. Krip]

Once RH in jars drops below 62% you're good for long-term storage!

 

[InTheShed]

Got My jars in the 60% area. Can I stop burping at this point and seal them for good? or how long does that go on?

Once RH in jars drops below 62% you're good for long-term storage!

Hmm...I burp regardless of the RH in the jar in order to get some good air exchange for at least two weeks after they come off the stems and into the jars. I thought the point of burping was not only to get the correct humidity level, but to allow the bacteria to chew through the chlorophyll (a process which needs oxygen and creates carbon dioxide).

 

[Mr. Krip]

Hmm...I burp regardless of the RH in the jar in order to get some good air exchange for at least two weeks after they come off the stems and into the jars. I thought the point of burping was not only to get the correct humidity level, but to allow the bacteria to chew through the chlorophyll (a process which needs oxygen and creates carbon dioxide).

Curing does rely on bacteria but the burping is about equalizing the humidity in the buds.

When you first jar the buds, they feel dry, even though they should be at, or just below, 70% RH (if not, put in paper bags or cardboard box to continue drying and try again later). Above 70% risks mold when jarred for any length of time (days, not hours).

After an hour, or so, in the jar, the buds will "sweat" the humidity from the inside of the bud to the outside and will feel moist again.

When you burp the jar, it allows the moisture on the outside of the bud to evaporate and dry up again. Re-jar and they sweat more moisure. Burp again, and more moisture evaporates. The less moisture in the buds, the less frequently you have to burp.

At 67% RH, the buds are now in the "cure zone"

Eventually, the RH in the jar will equalize at 62% or below, at which point they're OK for long term storage without having to worry about mold in the jars.

As long as the humidity stays above 55%, the buds will continue to cure in the jars (the bacteria is still working! ). If/when the humidity drops below 55%, the buds will stop curing wherever they're at and, even if you re-hydrate the buds, they will not cure any further.

I hope that helps!

 

[InTheShed]

I hope that helps!

Actually, not really. If the conversion of chlorophyll takes O and produces CO2, then the air exchange seems very important during the time those bacteria are most active, which would be when there is still a lot of chlorophyll to be removed (in the first few weeks).

 

[Mr. Krip]

Actually, not really. If the conversion of chlorophyll takes O and produces CO2, then the air exchange seems very important during the time those bacteria are most active, which would be when there is still a lot of chlorophyll to be removed (in the first few weeks).

That may be true, but I've never seen the top of a mason jar bulging from a build-up of CO2 and you can store buds at 62% for years and they continue to cure, so whatever O2 is in the jar must be enough. BUT, if RH is above 62% and you don't burp, you risk mold due to the moisture still in the buds.

 

[InTheShed]

Absolutely need to get the humidity down, and I don't mean the process creates additional CO2 to bulge the lid (any more than we would blow out the windows of a car by breathing in it!).

It's the same reason that it's better to hang buds for a week before jarring rather than 2 days...to allow the conversion of chlorophyll to happen in the open air when there is the most of it in the plant.

 

[Mr. Krip]

You may very well be correct, but burping is all about removing moisture:

Curing Cannabis 101

Curing is essential to the process of producing high quality cannabis heads. It's quite a simple concept however it may take a bit of care and practice to perfect it. If cannabis heads aren't properly cured then they're quality could become degraded from over drying or even worse ruined from mould. After the cannabis heads have been hung to dry for a week or so (see also "Drying Cannabis 101") and trimmed they need to be put into air-tight containers and placed in a dry, cool, dark environment with an ambient temperature of around 20C (68F) as THC can be degraded from heat and light reducing the quality of the cannabis heads. Although the cannabis heads may be fairly dry after a week or so of drying they may still contain moisture within the stems and begin to sweat. The process of "Burping" is now begun and simply means to open the air tight container where the cannabis heads are being stored for short periods of time allowing any extra moisture to escape, that may be caused from any sweating of the cannabis heads during the curing process as this can attract mould. Burping curing cannabis heads is a very simple process, and is done by opening the lid of the air-tight container containing the cannabis heads and allowing them to air out for about 30 minutes once every 24 hours for the first few days, and then once every 48 hours for the following week or so. After this burping can safely be done once a week or so until the cannabis curing process has completed. If the container is not burped at all or often enough then the cannabis heads may become over moist, mouldy and ruined. A tell tale sign that curing cannabis heads are too moist and/or beginning to degrade in quality is a smell similar to that of fresh grass clippings or compost. Once the burping process has been completed and no more condensation is present. The cannabis heads should be less green in colour and have developed a slightly more refined pungent aroma depending on the strain. They can now safely be sealed in air-tight containers and again kept in a dry, cool, dark environment with an ambient temperature of around 20C (68F). THC can degrade rapidly when exposed to temperatures above 30C (86F) and may be kept in a fridge to help avoid the loss of quality, and also lengthen the shelf life of stored cannabis heads. The curing process is complete after the cannabis heads have been kept in the above mentioned state for several weeks or months. Once the cannabis heads have cured properly they will have developed a very pungent refined aroma depending on the strain. Again depending on the particular cannabis strain they will also develop a cleaner, smoother taste and high as most of the chlorophyll and other impurities have also been removed from the cannabis heads by this stage. Cannabis may be kept in storage within air-tight containers in a dry, cool, dark environment with an ambient temperature of around 20C (68F) for years without loosing too much THC through degradation. If the cannabis has been vacuum sealed there should be no further THC degradation as no oxygen is present to assist with the breakdown of THC. Light will still affect the quality so the cannabis heads must be stored within a dark environment.

Set the containers in a cool, dark location then return multiple times daily to open (or “burp”) the containers which removes excess moisture by drawing it out through the bud slowly while keeping the oxygen content fresh.


Note: if you notice the smell of mold or ammonia after burping your containers the first few times, it likely means the bud is not dry enough to cure yet. Remove the buds from the jars and continue air-drying for a few more days to avoid mold.

After a few weeks, you’ll be able to burp your containers less frequently (once every few days to a week, for example) while the bud continues curing. Though your bud will be fine to smoke after two to four weeks, continued curing for four to eight weeks or more will improve the flavor and potency even more. Properly cured cannabis can be stored for up to six months in these containers or for long-term storage, it can be kept in vacuum-sealed storage for a year or more.

Step 4: During the first week, open the containers several times per day and let the flowers “breathe” for a few minutes. This allows moisture to escape and replenishes the oxygen inside the container. If you notice the odor of ammonia when opening a container, it means the buds are not dry enough to be cured and anaerobic bacteria are consuming them, which will lead to moldy, rotten cannabis. After the first week, you will only need to open the containers once every few days or so.

https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabi...leaf-septoria-how-to-deal-with-these-3-cannab

After 2 to 3 weeks in containers, your cannabis will be cured enough to provide a quality experience, but 4 to 8 weeks of cure time will improve it even more. Some strains benefit from 6 months or more of curing.

Never leave buds closed in jars for long periods of time if they feel moist or wet! You need to open your jars at least daily and monitor your buds closely for the first few weeks, and this gives you a perfect chance to check on the moisture levels of your buds.

If you ever notice that buds feel moist or wet, you should leave jars open for 20 minutes to an hour (or until the outsides of the buds feel dry to the touch). If buds ever are left in jars while they feel wet on the outside, they are much more likely to get mold! Buds should feel dry on the outside every time you close them in your jars.

During the first few weeks of the curing process, it's normal for buds to periodically feel wet as the moisture from the inside of the buds works its way to the outside. That's a good thing because it means you didn't overdry the buds, but this is also part of why it's so important to open jars at least daily for the first few weeks – you need to check on them and control the moisture levels.

 

[Reave]

Great. While I imagine they will get some air circulation regardless when a nab buds for my wife from random jars over the next while.

This is the end of this journal.

Lessons learned:

1.) Difference between soil and soiless medium.
2.) How to correctly water.
3.) Curing is equally as important as growing. Not sure my buds dropped below 55%RH but it was close before they got to the jars. 6 days in my environment in the box even with the humidifier running is enough most likely.
4.) How to use a nutrient schedule and apply that knowledge to other nutes.
5.) how to clone and monster crop (pretty easy)
6.) why fabric pots are only ideal for the final container. (Issues with rites growing through fabric before transplant.
7.) when to trim and defoliate. Next run I will trim off more. I left some stuff too low down and the buds took more time to trim than they were worth.

I’m sure I learned an epic ton more than this and will continue to learn more on my next grow. If you have been following along and want to follow my net journal you can do so here:

Reave's Perpetual Grow

Welcome to my new journal! Growing Dr. Seeds: Gorilla Glue #4 x 1 Bruce Banner #3 x 1 Blue Dream x 1 Also growing old seeds from a friend: Columbian gold x 5 These old seeds may not germinate. That’s why there is 5 of them. I have around 100 of these seeds hope we can get one to pop. Still...

www.420magazine.com

Thanks to everyone who joined and assisted on this journey. I have already been paying it forward by helping some local friends and a few on 420 if I’m able.

 

[Pennywise]

Congrats on a successful first run!
It’s always nice to greet and assist new members in the Introduce Yourself section.

 

[SlyTown420]

Congrats Reave!