DrZiggy's Low And Slow Drying: Maximizing Your Harvest

[sstressed]

Somebody here had a mini fridge and I think it helped them if they opened the door a few times a day. Just a vague memory but you might be able to find a reference to it here. Might have been @GratefulBud ?

i'll try anything once. just heard of the fridge trick. if i get into it, if indeed i can get a nice cure where it still has a lovely odor without crushing a bud, i'm looking at this little beauty.

i've done an embarrasingly number of dries and cures and sometimes it's lovely, mostly, the bud looks great but those great odors during flowering are barely there. i'm in it for the buzz so a great odor is great but far from essential. still, i try, try again.




amazon of course -

thermomate 15 Bottle Wine Cooler Refrigerator, Freestanding Compressor Wine Fridge, Auto Defrost Quiet Operation Single Zone Wine Cellar, 41F-64F...

About this item​

• [Stable Temperature] - Digital temperature control range from 41°F to 64°F, suit for red, white and sparkling wine and champagne, Memory Function, Great Insulation housing, Auto defrost freestanding wine refrigerator
• [Removable Racks] - Chrome plated wire shelves can slide out, gentle interior UV Free LED Light. Interior Dimension 10”W x 12.99”D x 22.83”H
• [Quiet Operation] - Powerful efficient compressor, adjustable feet, high grade components, resulting low noise and much less vibration, freestanding design for kitchen, home bar and dinning room

big enough, auto defrost and i could stick some whine in it too. $220 (US). less than two weeks worth of store bought weed for me. that's mid price for decent pot.
what do you think?

 

[InTheShed]

what do you think?

I'm not on the techie end of this, but I think a low of 41ºF might be on the high end of acceptable. Most fridges are set for 37ºF.

 

[Green Dreams]

Green Dreams,
Occasionally I visiti this thread and this drying method seems to provide great results. I'm on my first grow hoping to harvest at least a bud to try it out. You have good questions that I can't answer and would like to know the answer. Hope you don't mind me hanging around for response and see how your harvest turn out!



Wisdom from the Shed!

Thanks for your interest Tonclon.

As an update: I began harvesting on Saturday and will finish harvesting this evening.

In batches, I washed the buds, hung them to dry for 4 hours, bucked them from the branches, then placed them in a single layer within USPS Priority Mail boxes stacked within a older Kenmore 4.4 cu ft, single door, integrated fridge/freezer combo. I severely over-estimated the amount of product that this fridge would hold and I quickly had to revert to traditional rack drying within a tent for a large portion of the remaining harvest. On the bright side, I suppose that I will be able to compare traditional vs. low and slow method once all is said and done.

I was able to fill the fridge with approximately 70% of my "Grade-A" (i.e. best) colas/tops within the boxes. The boxes are directly stacked on top of each other. Fridge temperature is controlled by an InkBird temp/hum controller and is set for 38 degrees F, with a differential of 3 degrees F. Humidity is currently hovering between 60% and 70%. I will not open the fridge for at least 2 weeks. This fridge is a non-frost free model, however the freezer element was developing a layer of ice on the coils, thus I am relatively confident that it will serve the intended purpose of removing humidity from fridge compartment air, albeit without the self-defrosting convenience.

I am mildly apprehensive at the thought of losing the buds to mold, but consider it a leap of faith, based upon what I have learned from this thread.

I will provide another update in a couple of weeks, when I open the fridge to grab a few buds for moisture measurement.

 

[InTheShed]

I will not open the fridge for at least 2 weeks.

Remember to bounce the buds in the beginning!

 

[Green Dreams]

Remember to bounce the buds in the beginning!

I finally finished harvesting last night and put the last of the grade A buds into the fridge. I took your advice and flipped the boxes, giving them a gentle jostle whilst doing so- Thanks.

The boxes were noticeably damp/wet. Concerned, I examined a few buds in a box and they seemed fine- appeared to be drying, no indications of mold. I assume the cardboard is wicking moisture from the buds. I placed some stems in-between the stacked boxes to provide some separation and encourage evaporation.

 

[birdinaz]

I finally finished harvesting last night and put the last of the grade A buds into the fridge. I took your advice and flipped the boxes, giving them a gentle jostle whilst doing so- Thanks.

The boxes were noticeably damp/wet. Concerned, I examined a few buds in a box and they seemed fine- appeared to be drying, no indications of mold. I assume the cardboard is wicking moisture from the buds. I placed some stems in-between the stacked boxes to provide some separation and encourage evaporation.

Be careful with a mini fridge. Did you monitor humidity in the refrig before using? I ask because I have a very similar fridge. My humidity doesn't go below 75% and I couldn't get my buds to dry. Not saying you will have this problem, but check. I kept thinking,oh it is just high because I have fresh bud in in there. Never came down for two weeks and then I checked without bud in there and it was consistent over 75%.

 

[Green Dreams]

Be careful with a mini fridge. Did you monitor humidity in the refrig before using? I ask because I have a very similar fridge. My humidity doesn't go below 75% and I couldn't get my buds to dry. Not saying you will have this problem, but check. I kept thinking,oh it is just high because I have fresh bud in in there. Never came down for two weeks and then I checked without bud in there and it was consistent over 75%.

Yes, I did monitor humidity prior to harvest.

It appears to be working well, as the humidity was decreasing at a relatively constant rate (the recent spike, at the end of the graph, is due to the addition of last night's freshly harvested flower). I do appreciate your input/concern.

Out of curiosity, was your crop OK after its 2 week stint in the fridge at the prolonged high humidity? Were you able to dry it via traditional means or did it suffer adverse effects? The low fridge temps should serve to stave off/inhibit mold for a longer period of time, similar to food produce, no?

 

[birdinaz]

Out of curiosity, was your crop OK after its 2 week stint in the fridge at the prolonged high humidity? Were you able to dry it via traditional means or did it suffer adverse effects? The low fridge temps should serve to stave off/inhibit mold for a longer period of time, similar to food produce, no?

No problems. Some of the bags were even at 95% humidity and still no mold. I was opening regularly so that may have helped.

 

[420giirl]

Hey guys, so I’ve decided that drying in the mini fridge using brown paper bags is definitely for me. I just wanted to double check that I am following the process correctly. This sounds a lot less intimidating to me than just hanging them out to dry, taking up all that time and space would have been a real bummer for me. And now I’ll be able to put the clones in the tent while these dry in the fridge, moving right a long.

I took 2 branches and cut off all the fan leaves, leaving the sugar leaves. I didn’t wash these buds bc there weren’t that many. But I will be washing the others in baking soda and lemon juice, bc it’s what I already have on hand. I want to try proxide but it sounds like it’s a lot more beneficial for outdoor grows.
I’ll be leaving them to dry for about 4hrs in a dark room with a small fan on the floor not letting the fan hit the branches directly. What should the temp and humidity be in this room, same as the fridge if possible? Is there a way to know when they are ready for the fridge?

Then I will cut the buds off their branches and place them into a paper bag, filling about half way. I’m thinking I’ll lay the bag down on the wire shelves the fridge came with, that way I can fit more bags and get more surface space for the buds to dry, should the bags be thick or will lunch bags be ok too? I used what they bagged my items in from the grocery store and they are pretty thick. But they have their name in colored ink on the paper bag, does this matter? I would hate for something like ink to ruin my bud lol

Then I will try to keeping the humidity between 40-50% and temp at 35-40%, in the mini fridge drying the buds in about 5-7 days, give or take a couple of days. From what I understand the humidity may be higher for the first day or two and once it starts to drops to the 30’s for a day or so, then it’s probably time to jar? How many times per day or week do I open the bags while drying in the fridge?

Once jarred I’ll let it settle to room temperature than add the 62% bóveda packet with the hydrometer/thermometer and call it curing time, for about 4wks.
Then I’ll be storing in a cool dark place, like my designated 420 cabinet, I’m my kitchen.
Remembering to open the jars at least once a week, or is it once a day? Giving it a little shake so the buds move around a bit.

I will be harvesting 2 of my girls (future and HCz) on Monday morning, I have everything I need and am all set. More importantly the girls are all set and ready to go. They haven’t slowed down their water intake by a day or 2 but they have slowed down and their trichomes are right where I want them. IMO

Below are some pictures of what I’m working with.

 

[GratefulBud]

Hey guys, so I’ve decided that drying in the mini fridge using brown paper bags is definitely for me. I just wanted to double check that I am following the process correctly. This sounds a lot less intimidating to me than just hanging them out to dry, taking up all that time and space would have been a real bummer for me. And now I’ll be able to put the clones in the tent while these dry in the fridge, moving right a long.

I took 2 branches and cut off all the fan leaves, leaving the sugar leaves. I didn’t wash these buds bc there weren’t that many. But I will be washing the others in baking soda and lemon juice, bc it’s what I already have on hand. I want to try proxide but it sounds like it’s a lot more beneficial for outdoor grows.
I’ll be leaving them to dry for about 4hrs in a dark room with a small fan on the floor not letting the fan hit the branches directly. What should the temp and humidity be in this room, same as the fridge if possible? Is there a way to know when they are ready for the fridge?

Then I will cut the buds off their branches and place them into a paper bag, filling about half way. I’m thinking I’ll lay the bag down on the wire shelves the fridge came with, that way I can fit more bags and get more surface space for the buds to dry, should the bags be thick or will lunch bags be ok too? I used what they bagged my items in from the grocery store and they are pretty thick. But they have their name in colored ink on the paper bag, does this matter? I would hate for something like ink to ruin my bud lol

Then I will try to keeping the humidity between 40-50% and temp at 35-40%, in the mini fridge drying the buds in about 5-7 days, give or take a couple of days. From what I understand the humidity may be higher for the first day or two and once it starts to drops to the 30’s for a day or so, then it’s probably time to jar? How many times per day or week do I open the bags while drying in the fridge?

Once jarred I’ll let it settle to room temperature than add the 62% bóveda packet with the hydrometer/thermometer and call it curing time, for about 4wks.
Then I’ll be storing in a cool dark place, like my designated 420 cabinet, I’m my kitchen.
Remembering to open the jars at least once a week, or is it once a day? Giving it a little shake so the buds move around a bit.

I will be harvesting 2 of my girls (future and HCz) on Monday morning, I have everything I need and am all set. More importantly the girls are all set and ready to go. They haven’t slowed down their water intake by a day or 2 but they have slowed down and their trichomes are right where I want them. IMO

Below are some pictures of what I’m working with.

Hiya 420giirl!

I think you are on the right track!

I used smaller bags with my fridge; grocery store paper bags and I cut off the top 2 inches. . Placed what looks to be about an ounce in each bag (it will dry to about 1/3 ounce).
Don't worry so much about the humidity in the fridge - it will be high the first few days and thats ok. It is temperature that will be critical. As long as you are under 45F you should be fine. My last dry took about 14 days in the fridge.

I did a summary of previous posters' info here. I've since modified my process slightly due to my specific set up. Check the thread for others info. Lots of good information here.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Trala]

Hiya 420giirl!

I think you are on the right track!

I used smaller bags with my fridge; grocery store paper bags and I cut off the top 2 inches. . Placed what looks to be about an ounce in each bag (it will dry to about 1/3 ounce).
Don't worry so much about the humidity in the fridge - it will be high the first few days and thats ok. It is temperature that will be critical. As long as you are under 45F you should be fine. My last dry took about 14 days in the fridge.

I did a summary of previous posters' info here. I've since modified my process slightly due to my specific set up. Check the thread for others info. Lots of good information here.

Good luck and keep us posted!

You are always so happy and helpful

Is it the scoobie snacks or are you just a happy guy?

 

[GratefulBud]

You are always so happy and helpful

Is it the scoobie snacks or are you just a happy guy?

Definitely the Scooby snacks!

 

[InTheShed]

I know I posted something similar last year but I think it bears repeating as folks come here for answers.

Something puzzles me about how low and slow seems to have evolved since the start of this thread. I will often read descriptions like this:

And after it comes out of the fridge I will lower the RH in the jars with regular burps as normal.

This is one of the things that confuses me about low and slow as I see it being described and done these days. I understand that some growers are using low and slow as a method to prevent overdrying buds in a low RH environment (so burping makes sense there), but the original purpose was this:

The chief benefit of Low and Slow drying is the ability to retain almost all of the terpenes and flavonoids.

And this was Sue's method:

* Harvest
* Budwash - spun dry, hang for up to 4 hrs
* Clip into bags (28 gr per bag)
* Into the fridge, bags on their side to increase surface area
* After 3 days gently bounce buds apart
* Leave for two weeks (unless airy buds, then check sooner)
* At 2 weeks stabilize with rice balls and jar up

No burping so as to retain the terpenes. Doesn't burping release terpenes that the low and slow was originally designed to retain? That was what the rice balls were designed to do: lower the RH quickly so the jar could be sealed for curing.

 

[GratefulBud]

No burping so as to retain the terpenes. Doesn't burping release terpenes that the low and slow was originally designed to retain? That was what the rice balls were designed to do: lower the RH quickly so the jar could be sealed for curing.

Hiya Shed!

You bring up a good point, and honestly I am a bit perplexed. I must use low and slow because of the climate (outdoor grow in SoCal - SFV). It is too damn hot here in October, and I don't have an indoor room to hang dry. I've done low and slow two years now and I have not yet been able to retain the good terpene aroma. I think I may be doing something wrong. I still like the refrigerator aspect of it, I'm just trying to find that sweet spot. Others here seem to have it down so I'll keep trying. I have no choice.

My last crop has been in jars since October and honestly it still smells a little grassy. I smoke it and am extremely grateful, but it is no where near where I would like it. I made a conscious effort to NOT burp the lars too much but it still is just a tad grassy. The first year I burped too much I think and it was a bit harsh (also got a bit dryer than it should).

Next time I will tweak the process a little bit more and try to extend the time in fridge to allow more of the grassy aroma to come out and go away.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

 

[InTheShed]

Hiya Shed!

You bring up a good point, and honestly I am a bit perplexed. I must use low and slow because of the climate (outdoor grow in SoCal - SFV). It is too damn hot here in October, and I don't have an indoor room to hang dry. I've done low and slow two years now and I have not yet been able to retain the good terpene aroma. I think I may be doing something wrong. I still like the refrigerator aspect of it, I'm just trying to find that sweet spot. Others here seem to have it down so I'll keep trying. I have no choice.

My last crop has been in jars since October and honestly it still smells a little grassy. I smoke it and am extremely grateful, but it is no where near where I would like it. I made a conscious effort to NOT burp the lars too much but it still is just a tad grassy. The first year I burped too much I think and it was a bit harsh (also got a bit dryer than it should).

Next time I will tweak the process a little bit more and try to extend the time in fridge to allow more of the grassy aroma to come out and go away.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

WLA repping!

You were exactly who I was talking about in term of needing the fridge to keep your harvest from drying out, and it sounds like you're getting it dialed in well.

 

[GratefulBud]

I don't think I am dialed in just yet. I am truly thankful to Sweet Sue and all of the others who have blazed this trail before me. I like it, and I will keep using it.

 

[birdinaz]

Hiya Shed!

You bring up a good point, and honestly I am a bit perplexed. I must use low and slow because of the climate (outdoor grow in SoCal - SFV). It is too damn hot here in October, and I don't have an indoor room to hang dry. I've done low and slow two years now and I have not yet been able to retain the good terpene aroma. I think I may be doing something wrong. I still like the refrigerator aspect of it, I'm just trying to find that sweet spot. Others here seem to have it down so I'll keep trying. I have no choice.

My last crop has been in jars since October and honestly it still smells a little grassy. I smoke it and am extremely grateful, but it is no where near where I would like it. I made a conscious effort to NOT burp the lars too much but it still is just a tad grassy. The first year I burped too much I think and it was a bit harsh (also got a bit dryer than it should).

I have the same problem. I am really at a loss on how to retain aroma with this method. I am very dry in AZ. I trim fan leaves, then bud wash and dry with fan for 4 hours after washing . I trim into larger buds with sugar leaves intact. I keep bags closed loosely until I get down to high 70's. Then I seal bag and open once per day and shift buds around. When I get to high 60's, I trim and transfer to jars. I check humidity after room temp for a few hours. If humidity is over 70, I put a bag over the jar (small lunch bags fit perfect over a 32 oz mason jar). I check again the next day in closed jars until I get into mid 60's. Then I seal jar with a 62% boveda or I have also tried grove bags at this point too. I burp about every 2-3 days. What can I change to keep more aroma? I keep getting grassy smells. One thing I have noticed is my refrig runs really low humidity, like 35-40% even when I put a fresh set of bags in there. Not sure if it is just a super dehumidifier or if it has something to do with climate. I never see a big spike, but I also never harvest more than 4 oz.

 

[InTheShed]

I have the same problem. I am really at a loss on how to retain aroma with this method. I am very dry in AZ. I trim fan leaves, then bud wash and dry with fan for 4 hours after washing . I trim into larger buds with sugar leaves intact. I keep bags closed loosely until I get down to high 70's. Then I seal bag and open once per day and shift buds around. When I get to high 60's, I trim and transfer to jars. I check humidity after room temp for a few hours. If humidity is over 70, I put a bag over the jar (small lunch bags fit perfect over a 32 oz mason jar). I check again the next day in closed jars until I get into mid 60's. Then I seal jar with a 62% boveda or I have also tried grove bags at this point too. I burp about every 2-3 days. What can I change to keep more aroma? I keep getting grassy smells. One thing I have noticed is my refrig runs really low humidity, like 35-40% even when I put a fresh set of bags in there. Not sure if it is just a super dehumidifier or if it has something to do with climate. I never see a big spike, but I also never harvest more than 4 oz.

Is the fridge full of other stuff as well? A full fridge is more stable than an empty one.

And if the grassy smell isn't gone by the time the buds come out of the fridge they probably weren't in there long enough. It takes at least 2 weeks from chopping for the chlorophyll to break down.

Either way, the grassy smell should be gone after the buds are sealed for a few weeks in the jars.

 

[birdinaz]

Is the fridge full of other stuff as well? A full fridge is more stable than an empty one.

And if the grassy smell isn't gone by the time the buds come out of the fridge they probably weren't in there long enough. It takes at least 2 weeks from chopping for the chlorophyll to break down.

Either way, the grassy smell should be gone after the buds are sealed for a few weeks in the jars.

Fridge is full of beer and other drinks. I have bud in there that is 4 months, 2 months and 1 month. The only one that really smells great is the CBD strain....super grapey. And I have dried and cured those the same as the others. I just don't get it. I have seen a lot of discrepancy in this thread in regards to burping. I have always had amazing smell at harvest.

 

[InTheShed]

Fridge is full of beer and other drinks. I have bud in there that is 4 months, 2 months and 1 month. The only one that really smells great is the CBD strain....super grapey. And I have dried and cured those the same as the others. I just don't get it. I have seen a lot of discrepancy in this thread in regards to burping. I have always had amazing smell at harvest.

Okay, now I'm a bit confused. You're keeping your curing bud in the fridge after you seal it with the Bovedas? I'd find a place that's cool but not that cool! That kind of cold will slow down the cure because I think you've put the microbes to sleep.