Need help on improving smell & taste

[liftedlefty]

Ok, so I've had a few grows now and I am happy with the quantity of my yield but need help improving in some areas. My buds end up tasting like any old bud, and smelling the same. I really want that killer smell and taste! I think it's got more to do with drying and curing but here is what I got:

Room is 2.5'w x 5'h x 5'deep (one plant only)
400 w hps lamp from hortilux (new bulb every 2 harvests)
Temp in room is 70-80deg
Seeds were Northern Lights x Big Bud from autoseeds
Nutrients: biobizz:grow during veg and humboldts ginormous during flower.
2 week water flush before cutting her down


I did the veg stage for 4 weeks, flowering for 8.5, cut and hung them till the stems were snapping, and then put them in jars. I'd open the jar after about 4-5 days to air them out and then put the lid back on. I'd do this for a month, the 2nd time if wait a week to open, then a week and a few days.

What do I need to do to improve my buds??
Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Nicholas Flamel]

re: Need help on improving smell & taste

Man i was having the same issues. I think hanging until the stem snaps made it too dry. The smell and taste just vanished from my first harvest. This time i let it hang for 2 days until the outside of the bud feels dry, and then put the buds into a brown paper bag for 5-6 days, then into the jars. Then i dump the jars and let the buds breath for 20 minutes or so every day for a week. Then just once a week after that. This harvest has much better smell and taste. Im learning how important drying and curing is. Hope this helps ya out.

 

[Emilya Green]

re: Need help on improving smell & taste

I think this is a point that a lot of us get to as we work on perfecting our art. I too have been struggling with this, but on this last round had marginal success in solving these issues.

The first thing I was doing wrong is drying too fast. My setup can easily dry my product in about 3 days with all the air I have flowing about this place. This might be good for growing, but it is not for curing. This round I really worked at slowing this process down, by raising the RH in the house during drying, even to the point of running a vaporizer in the room to really jack up the humidity. Then when the branches were getting crispy, I did the paper sack thing for 3 or 4 days too. Lastly, I have gotten a supply of Boveda 62 packs to put in my jars instead of trusting my humidity meters.

The other big change I made was to go completely organic. No more salts and no more tap water in my grow and nothing but well composted amended soil, pure water and actively aerated compost teas. Wow. What a difference. Taste, look and smell are all very noticeably improved, as is the overall quality and potency. Relying on synthetic nutes was my problem in the grow.... my own impatience to get it dry was my problem in the cure. I will never go back to my old ways now that I have seen how well a bit of patience and back to basics produces. I wish you luck in finding the same path that I have been following... it really does make a difference.

 

[liftedlefty]

re: Need help on improving smell & taste

Thank you guys for the tips! Nic, that makes sense, I may have been drying way too long..

 

[MickFoster]

re: Need help on improving smell & taste

I agree that you probably allowed it to get too dry - although I don't see how it could be so dry that the stems snapped in just 2 days. I let it dry until the outside of the bud is dry....usually takes 4 - 6 days depending on the r/h in the room.....then into quart size mason jars....check jars every few hours at first....when the outside of the bud is re-hydrated I spread the buds out and let them dry again to the touch.....then back in the jars.....and repeat the process until the dryness becomes consistent. I also have small round hygrometers that attach to the underside of the mason jar lids....when it's consistently 62 I know it can be stored long term if need be.

 

[OzbudboY]

re: Need help on improving smell & taste

I like to try and dry in 7-10 days in 45-55% humidity and 67-70° with i small fan circulating air(not blowing on the bud).
My last harvest dried in 5 days due to 30-35% humidity, although his turned out great, stinky and tasty, I believe this could've been better with a slower dry time. But of course the longer you go the bigger the risk of mold so that always worries me about going longer.

I've always opened the jars once or twice a day for the first week or so they are in jars. I also have a humidity gauge in the jar to keep track of how fast the humidity is changing.

 

[PurpleGunRack]

re: Need help on improving smell & taste

I also use Biobizz nutes, but only Biobizz through out the grow in their Light-Mix.
Before harvest I slowly flush twice with 3x volume of pot size, and try to let the soil dry out between the first and second flush and after the second before harvesting.
Then I do a Bud Wash after harvest and hang to drip dry for ~ 24 hours and then dry in my tent or cabinet for 5-7 days until the stems inside the buds snap, I try to stay within 18-23 degrees c and 55% RH and then jar with 62% humidipacks.

But it also comes down to strain and phenotype, I just grew 4 Hash Bombs and one of them tastes weird kinda like grilled onions and the other 3 varies between a very nice fruity/floral taste to a sweet deep eathy and spicy taste.

 

[Auggie]

re: Need help on improving smell & taste

One thing that I do, that I am not aware of anyone else doing is this: When I harvest I keep two or three medium sized buds out and freeze them, uncured.

Once all the curing is done I store the weight in the fridge. When I take it out, if it isn't smelly enough, I put that wet uncured bud in the bag. It re hydrates the lb bag with a great smell.

~ Auggie ~