Hang dry or Bag dry?

[Broke Stove]

I hang dry for 3 days at 60-65 degrees, then hang for 4 days at 72-78 degrees, then for another 3 days back at 65 degrees. Then I trim them and drop the nugs straight into large mouth jars. I leave the lids off for 48 hours, then dump out my jars and re-jar the bud, close up the jars and put them in a pitch black area at about 60-70 degrees and I end up with some pretty respectable smoke.

 

[Smokin Ace]

I only use the brown bag like the last few days of drying, then its simple and quick to get curing. I think hanging is optimal because one can control the climate optimally. Plus, it's a beautiful sight.

 

[Kronnoisseur]

I hang it up to dry, then I close paper bag it to start the cure, and then I jar it for final cure. I would hang it and straight jar it but when I jar it off the bat I have to move around the buds to burp it which busts more trichomes. Also if you bag it off the bat you have to be carefull about mold, along with if you don't burp it enough in the jar. The key is be as careful as you can about handling the bud and not beating it up against stuff, every time you're breaking trichome heads losing potency.

 

[ultrasonic]

well i had no idea? i guess its a practice ive picked up along the way and just thought it seemed true... i didnt know anyone would get so upset about my post.. good to see that people are reading tho! sorry next time i will research before i give any advise out...

once again sorry for the misinformation

SPenny DaBest!

You took that well man
+reps, lol I could learn from you!


I've always associated growing larger amounts (several pounds) with drying in bags
Hanging, imho, could preserve some trichromes, and prevent rot easier (but I suppose It could be easy to overdry)

 

[BigManRestles]

I had been using a combination of hang/plastic bag method for over 15 years, and it has worked very well for me. For the most part, the plants have been 2 foot tall or less grown indoors, though I have used the same method for 6 foot monsters grown outdoors. What I do is trim and manicure the plants whole (the monsters were cut to individual branches roughly the same size), and hang them on lines with clothes pins until the buds are dry to the touch, just shy of breaking. I then place the plants in large plastic bags (the new huge Ziplock bags work great for this), and leave them sealed for 24 hours. At this point, the plants seem to be nearly as moist as when first hung. Then I open the bag and pull the plants partially out, and allow dry to about the same degree as when I first put them in the bag, place them back in the bag and seal it. I repeat this process a few times, I leave them in the bag until the buds feel softer when squeezed through the bag, then ventilating. When the buds feel more sticky than wet, I do a final manicure, removing the individual buds from the plants, serparate by size and density, and place them into double Ziplock freezer bags (doubled up) for another 24-48 hours. This is the point where the cure really seems to kick in. The buds are ready to smoke at this time, though some people tell me the bud is still too moist at this time and scissors or a grinder is needed to roll one, it burns with out problems and smokes sweet and smooth. At this point I transfer the buds to large glass canning jars, and just check them every few days to make sure the buds haven't moistened up again. The longer they stay in the jars, the better they seem to get. As I said initially, I have used this method for a long time, and it has worked well for me. There has only been one time when the buds got moldy, and a few times when the bud dried out a little more than I like (but still very smokable!), but this was due to my own negligence, not the fault of the process. The entire process requires as much diligence and attention as the growing process, perhaps more. Lttle disappoints me more than trying a friends new "hydro", only to find that the bud is poorly dried and cured. A bud is a terrible thing to waste!

 

[QUEENBUD00]

Actually I use both methods,whatever the method....Do it slowly..The longer the cure the better the smoke..

 

[Captain Kronic]

I have never tried any "Bag methods" I have only ever hung them up.
It has been many years since I have had a harvest, I plan on trying a couple different things that I have read about here.
Have to see how it goes, it'll more than likely be just me trimming; I'm looking at about 20 plus lbs all said and done... that's a lot of trimming... WHEW!
So, the point is, I don't know how much time and nerves I will have for trying new things and or experimenting!
I'm thinking either way, the bulk will be hung... much like myself... LMAO!

 

[ptg701]

The humidity here is 80-100%.
This is not ideal for drying and raises the potential for mold.

I use a drying chamber made from a Rubbermaid tub.
It has dowels for hanging the trimmed bud.
There is a small exhaust fan in one end, and holes in the other end that the fan sucks air through.

The fan is on a timer and runs for an hour and rests for three hours.
If the drying is going too fast or slow, I vary the fan time and/or take the cover off of the tub.

When it's as dry as I want, I remove the dowels, trim off the stems, and put the buds directly into the tub where they dry some more.

Then it's into a glass jar for curing.

On the bottom of my drying chamber is a piece of glass that catches all the goody that falls off the buds.

 

[munen]

I like hanging... seems to work better for me...

 

[OldSkoool]

Ironically, I came across this gem of a discussion right after hanging my neatly manicured branches from this Falls harvest. Indoor single plant grower, no big shakes.

My previous grow was untrimmed, and dried in boxes, but thought I'd give the 'manicure first and hang in the air' option a go this time. I thought it makes more sense when wanting to avoid the dreaded M word. Plus manicuring after drying seemed to be a lot more labor intensive IMHO. Kinda nice watching them dry, knowing it's out of the way, and all I have to do is clip the buds when the branches snap, then throw 'em in jars for curing.

The one thing I don't understand is bagging after hang drying some of you recommend......since both methods accomplish the same goal....drying your buds out sufficiently to jar cure them....right? Or is there something to be gained by this interim step?

 

[Kronnoisseur]

Ironically, I came across this gem of a discussion right after hanging my neatly manicured branches from this Falls harvest. Indoor single plant grower, no big shakes.

My previous grow was untrimmed, and dried in boxes, but thought I'd give the 'manicure first and hang in the air' option a go this time. I thought it makes more sense when wanting to avoid the dreaded M word. Plus manicuring after drying seemed to be a lot more labor intensive IMHO. Kinda nice watching them dry, knowing it's out of the way, and all I have to do is clip the buds when the branches snap, then throw 'em in jars for curing.

The one thing I don't understand is bagging after hang drying some of you recommend......since both methods accomplish the same goal....drying your buds out sufficiently to jar cure them....right? Or is there something to be gained by this interim step?

Well I just did a lb or so here's what I did. Hung 3-5 days till the buds were pretty dry to the touch, clipped them off let them sit in a drawer open in the dark closing it occasionally, 1-3 days of that then start the jaring and burping eventually like not burping besides when I do it grabbing a bud. Boxes can replace the method of using drawers and curing, just dont open the box you may get the smell of it but it is curing! Leave the boxtop off and just shading it by laying it ontop so simulate the drawer. Iono just rambling. I final manicure after drying or curing judging sugar leaves to keep and stuff to rid for max amount of good meds. Bagging it after hang drying starts drying the buds without moisture from the stems, somewhat slows the process holding the smell as long as the buds arn't to moist to mold, and keeps it in the total dark and kinda starts the curing process, keep the bag as open or as closed as you want based on preference and strain.

 

[OldSkoool]

Thanks for the response Kronnoisseur, and I appreciate your detailed explanation. But like Paul Simon say's, there must be 50 ways to leave your lover, and a zillion ways to dry your stash, but curing is an individual art form that's dependent on a host of variables.

I believe I'll keep to my planned regiment of keeping the branches hanging in the dark until their dry enough to snap before jarring them. The problem I have with loose buds rolling about in a paper bag is the loss of precious trich's that stick to the paper, and can't be retrieved. Guess I'm a stingy bastard

 

[livepositive]

Not really bro. You may kill the mold visably but it is still there. The hyphae, or roots of the mold, extend into the center mass of the buds and it is immpossible to kill it once you have it. Also, spraying it with rubbing alcohol just means you are then smoking that as well which can't be any better for you than smoking mold.

Why don't you just take your harvest and cut it right off do your final trip nice and wet, and then throw it the garbage. Bro mold is out number uno enemy, don't invite it into your home or garden!

 

[Burn57]

I don't know if this topic is still alive but I am a new grower, only on my third cycle, this time I grew 9 plants after doing 3 then two I tried a fedw more. I am in rainy wet WA growing in a 6x5 room using hydroponics. I start my clones in a smal nursry under florencse lights then to the bloom room for a month of veg under the veg MH light them swith to sodium for the next two monhs blooming.
I have some that are to wet but got cut down to bud after just hanging on the plant for three days before I could get to them why cutting the others. I have them in a glass jar with the top off and the fan going with the others hanging and drying, I'm hoping the ones in the jar will dry more but an thinking of bagging them for a few days. I need a dry room so I don't have to cut them all the same time I guess.

 

[Oregon.Hippie]

Spenny I'm a hash nut and have been for 30 years. I got turned onto it for the first time on a Am-trak train. Anyway, I have bubble bags and before that made blender hash by the ton so I agree with you that plastic bags aren't the best for storage. But I believe, and I hope they correct me if I'm wrong, when they mention using bags to dry with they are using paper bags for the process.

Blender hash??

Sounds cool. can you elaborate??

 

[Oregon.Hippie]

Hang it. 10 days in summer 12 to 13 in winter where I live. Twelve plants take 40 feet of line. In a bedroom with a window open and the door a-jar.

During the 10 days I take individual branches and carefully manicure the buds as much as time allows. I work at a table on a glass tray and to go through about 3 pounds of bud it takes about 25 hours. Im slow I guess but its a labor of love.

Then It goes into 2.5 gallon jars in 3 separate grades. I call em' "A", "B", and "C". Watch the class for moisture. Wipe it out with a clean paper towell if it condenses on the top of the class. Keep is covered and dark. I carefully take it out on the tray and rotate it every other day to keep the remaining moisture even.

Cola's are "A"
Tater tot sized or bigger lower branch buds are "B"
Scraggle stuff is "C".

My thing is I wont touch it for a MINIMUM 30 days. I prefer 90. I believe it gives the sugars and starches time to break down and it seems to smoke smoother. Even if I am sick with a chest cold/cough, I can take monster bong hits without it irratating my throat and making me cough.

 

[Burn57]

I am newbe at growing. I have to be careful as I am in the middle of the city & use filters for the smell or I would have complaints even though I am medical Marijuana legal grower.
I have found my womans ex took brown bags for lunch and I have a 8" thick stack of brown paper bags. bags are 6" x 4" 10" tall. just regular luch bags. Is there any way I can dry using these?
I hang in my bloom room right now but this spring, if we ever get one I am going to build a drying room so I can continue to pull plants when they are ready instead of having to cut them all at the same time because I have no where else to dry them.
'

 

[weed farmer 1]

soak in peroxide the hang dry

 

[weed farmer 1]

lose nugs on racks works

 

[ClothMan]

You guys can do what you want with your buds, to be honest I really only care about my own. I can only tell you by experience that both methods work. If your growing so much bud that its being smashed by the weight, try using more than one bag. Each method has its pros and cons and there's a reason why there are more than one way to dry buds.
Screen drying is practice more for comercial growing because you can dry buds quick but is damaging to the buds exterier and its vary easy to over dry them. Screen drying is also preferred when humdity levels are high and can't be controlled.
Bag drying is more for the times you have too dry of a area or you don't have a dark place to dry buds. This is practice mostly by homegrowers with small crops and if humidity is a issue, just put the bag in your oven (as long as it is a gas oven). The pilot light makes sure that outside of the bag is very dry. But (there's always a but lol) bag drying is not for areas when the humidity is over 50%.
Hang drying. Its about the easiest of all methods, no rocket science in this but you need a area thats dark and large enough. Pot snobs also prefer it cuse its the least damaging to the buds. Hang drying is best done when humidity levels are between 45 to 60%.
There are many more pros and cons to each method but I just don't see why I should put the effort to list them all. After all, if you can grow a plant to produce the fruits of your labor, you can figure out how to dry some buds.

I am thinking of hang dry in grow box, lights off since only 1 plant grow/harvest, wondering however if an issue with humidity around 27-30%......would appreciate feedback to ensure no issues.