Is a cure necessary if going directly to extracts?

[Azimuth]

Is there any advantage to curing bud that is going directly to extracts rather than to smoke?

I think curing is mostly a green matter issue as curing helps convert stuff like chlorophyll to other things to make the herb taste better, but does it have any effect on the cannabinoids, terpenes or flavonoids?

I'm wondering if that extra step that is so critical to bud that will be smoked will mean essentially nothing to me if all I'm going to do is stick it in some coconut oil and use it that way.

I know the fresh extract crowd doesn't even dry their herb in some applications.

@DonkeyDick @InTheShed @bluter @FelipeBlu @StoneOtter @bobrown14

 

[zigzagman1960]

Nope. You can take semi wet weed and stick it in the oven at 240f to dry and decarb before extraction.

 

[Azimuth]

Thanks. I can decarb it as part of the extraction, but I'm wondering if any of the goodies are improved in any way during a cure.

 

[DonkeyDick]

Why don’t you try a side by side comparison of extracts cured and uncured? Now that we’re curious.

 

[Azimuth]

Why don’t you try a side by side comparison of extracts cured and uncured? Now that we’re curious.

I thought with all of your research you might already know the answer!

 

[DonkeyDick]

I know the fresh extract crowd

I know nothing of fresh extracts. My go-to extraction is rosin and flower must be dried for that.
Almost all the infusions I do are with “waste” products - spent press pucks, already vaped bud, trim... these things.
While I don’t decarb everything I infuse it’s all dried and cured, even the trim.

My thoughts on whether chlorophyll matters in an edible: probably not. But, taste is (almost) everything so cured just seems better for ingestion in general. Does chlorophyll have a medicinal effect worth pursuing? Again, probably not.
There may be a little degradation of some terpenes, thiols, aromatics in a cure. Maybe there is a happy balance point. I haven’t seen the research. Happy to conduct it though. Or better still - watch.

 

[Azimuth]

My thoughts on whether chlorophyll matters in an edible: probably not. But, taste is (almost) everything so cured just seems better for ingestion in general. Does chlorophyll have a medicinal effect worth pursuing? Again, probably not.

I think chlorophyll adds a quite a negative taste in edibles but that can be overcome with a water cure as that process basically takes out the taste at least. My concern with a water cure is that it might also remove some of the 'oids' that are supposed to help with the medicinal effect. Different terpines and flavonoids have different medical effects and, while the water cure doesn't seem to negatively affect the amount of THC, for example, it does take out much of the aromatics, some/many of which may have their own medicinal properties.

There may be a little degradation of some terpenes, thiols, aromatics in a cure.

I'm not so worried about some degradation as part of a normal cure since I'm going to dry it no matter what so I'll get whatever changes happen with that.

I'm more interested in whether the cannabinoids are improved with a cure, or if it's just the green matter that is. There are chemical processes that take place during a cure as the microbes convert stuff, but does that conversion apply to the cannabinoids, terpines, and flavonoids, or is the process confined to the leaf matter? And, if it does apply, is the microbe impact a positive or a negative for the goodies?

That is the question.

 

[KingJohnC]

It is more a question about the polar or non polar nature of the solvent carrier used in the extraction method as certain solvents actively pull green mater from either cured or fresh uncured cannabis buds.

 

[Azimuth]

@AdaminCO ,

Just reread your bud washing thread as I'm getting ready for a harvest that is going directly to extracts, and wondered if you have any thoughts on whether curing improves the trichomes, flavonoids, or terpenes in any way?

Wondering if the curing step is even necessary if one is not going to smoke it.

 

[AdaminCO]

@AdaminCO ,

Just reread your bud washing thread as I'm getting ready for a harvest that is going directly to extracts, and wondered if you have any thoughts on whether curing improves the trichomes, flavonoids, or terpenes in any way?

Wondering if the curing step is even necessary if one is not going to smoke it.

I’ve never personally messed with extracts. @InTheShed could probably comment on this, or bring someone in that can.

 

[Azimuth]

Ok, thanks.

 

[InTheShed]

I’ve never personally messed with extracts. @InTheShed could probably comment on this, or bring someone in that can.

I would start with @Grandpa Tokin and the folks in his squish thread here:

Grandpa Likes To Squeeze Stuff: Solventless Extracts, Rosin, Pressed Here!

Solventless Extracts (Rosin) Pressed Here! Hello everyone, and welcome to Grandpa’s squeeze box. I’ve been receiving quite a few emails lately asking me about my extracts; specifically, about solventless, so I thought I would share exactly what I do again so everyone can see. This little...

www.420magazine.com

He's gone surfing so it might be a few before he sees it though.

 

[Azimuth]

I would start with @Grandpa Tokin and the folks in his squish thread here:

Grandpa Likes To Squeeze Stuff: Solventless Extracts, Rosin, Pressed Here!

Solventless Extracts (Rosin) Pressed Here! Hello everyone, and welcome to Grandpa’s squeeze box. I’ve been receiving quite a few emails lately asking me about my extracts; specifically, about solventless, so I thought I would share exactly what I do again so everyone can see. This little...

www.420magazine.com

He's gone surfing so it might be a few before he sees it though.

Perfect, thx.

Maybe I'll just pose the question over there and see what it stirs up.

 

[DonkeyDick]

We’re all curious to see what people might bring to this question. I haven’t seen any science satisfyingly in depth on the subject of curing to know much more about it than my own observations and experience.
I wondered when I stumbled in this thread why I didn’t get the tag from your first post, then I see that post was edited. Tags don’t work on edits so I’ll throw them out again Azi.

@bluter
@bobrown14
@StoneOtter
@FelipeBlu

What are our thoughts on the effect of the cure on the active molecules? While we are at it does anyone have a good definition of curing in relation to cannabis?
Thanks.

 

[FelipeBlu]

I don’t have any science to bring to this discussion. But if I was going straight to extracts, I would really only be interested in the trichomes.

So I would freeze the freshly cut buds (no dry - no cure) and then do a dry ice sift with a 70 micron screen to obtain just the trichomes. No chlorophyll.

 

[Azimuth]

I don’t have any science to bring to this discussion. But if I was going straight to extracts, I would really only be interested in the trichomes.

So I would freeze the freshly cut buds (no dry - no cure) and then do a dry ice sift with a 70 micron screen to obtain just the trichomes. No chlorophyll.

Or maybe a water cure?

 

[FelipeBlu]

Or maybe a water cure?

Perhaps, but I can only speak to what I have experience with.

 

[Azimuth]

We’re all curious to see what people might bring to this question. I haven’t seen any science satisfyingly in depth on the subject of curing to know much more about it than my own observations and experience.
I wondered when I stumbled in this thread why I didn’t get the tag from your first post, then I see that post was edited. Tags don’t work on edits so I’ll throw them out again Azi.

@bluter
@bobrown14
@StoneOtter
@FelipeBlu

What are our thoughts on the effect of the cure on the active molecules? While we are at it does anyone have a good definition of curing in relation to cannabis?
Thanks.

Thanks, DD! I did not know that about tags and edits. I wondered why I hadn't heard from the others.

 

[Azimuth]

Perhaps, but I can only speak to what I have experience with.

My concern with the water cure is that it takes out all/most of the tastes and smells. The taste doesn't matter to me since I'm not smoking it, but I know the terpines have some medical benefits in addition to the trichomes, and that makes me think the flavonoids might have medicinal properties as well, so washing those out as well might lessen the medicine.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Well, I can say (from personal experience), that the terpenes are most certainly still present after a dry ice sift. Plenty of aroma and flavor in that hash!

I bet @BeezLuiz has had the same experience.