Pressure build-up in mason jars

[mulga bill]

G,day all, I have been storing some bud in Mason type jars now for about 4 months.I have been burping these jars once per week for about half an hour each time. The bud is quite dry, but pliable, it has a good colour and smell in the jar. I have 62% integra packs in the jars. Everything seems to be fine. BUT, we are now in summer here and where i am storing the jars ( dark closet ) the temperature has risen a few times up to around 25C. I opened the jars today and was surprised to find there was pressure build-up in the jars ! is this a problem ? what is causing this ? and how do i fix it ? Should i put the jars in the fridge ? This bud is my meds,i would not like to lose it. Mulga Bill.

 

[TorturedSoul]

You mentioned that the temperature has risen. If you place a lid on a bottle when it's (for example) 15°C, then heat it up to 25°C, you'll notice that the contents in the bottle (even if only air) are under increased pressure. Heat does this, that's why there are vents in pressure cookers.

Conversely, if you fill a bottle with water (leaving a bit of air space as per normal) at 25°C, then cool it down to within a degree or two of freezing, you might have trouble getting the lid off due to the negative pressure.

I'd generally only be concerned if the contents of your jars started offgassing when the temperature was stable. That, to me, would indicate the presence of microbial life.

Just my opinion, of course. As in all things in life, YMMV applies.

 

[mulga bill]

G,Day, Tortured Soul. Thanks for your reply. Yes, i understand what you are saying, the temp in my storage area is now going to fluctuate due to change of season, the only place i have that has a stable temperature is the fridge, should i put these jars in the refridgerator ? ( or freezer ?) Much research on this question is ambiguous, some say, freezer not fridge and others say fridge not freezer, for various reasons, what is your experience tortured soul ? Your opinion is of value to me. YMMV. ? Thankyou....

 

[TorturedSoul]

I don't store buds in my freezer because I've read that the trichomes can lose their "grip" and come lose from the buds. And that seems to be borne out in reality, at least to some extent - it's easier to clean a grinder after it has cooled off in a freezer (and you can often slam an open one upside down onto a flat surface immediately after pulling it out of the freezer and see that stuff that has heretofore been stuck like glue... ended up on the flat surface).

My house gets really hot in the Summer and cool to cold in the Winter (I basically just try to keep it warm enough that the pipes don't freeze unless I'm running a grow in the house). So, for me the refrigerator would be the best long-term option, because it's going to be both cool and relatively temperature-stable.

If I had to guess - and I do, because I just realized that everything I've read about long-term storage recommendations is... pretty vague and foggy - I'd guess that the best storage option would be just a little bit warmer than the average refrigerator, but well below what most consider to be "room temperature." Maybe a basement, if it's dry? IDK.

I'm interested in others' opinions on this question, too, so I'm glad that you posted the thread.
EDIT:

Your opinion is of value to me.

You are too kind - but thank you.

YMMV. ?

Apologies. The abbreviation stands for "Your Mileage May Vary," in other words, your results may differ from mine.

 

[TurboBucket]

I believe his point was that the pressure increase from the temp swings is not a big deal.

If however the jars remain stable and have positive pressure it could be a sign of microbial life in the jar converting the solids to gases.

As tortured soul mentioned a root cellar type environment would seem to be the best long term storage, something cool and dry. I store my jars in my basement.

 

[Virgin Ground]

You can try storing in a styrofoam cooler. It would keep the temp a bit more stable....in a pinch.

 

[mulga bill]

G,Day, Tortured Soul. Unfortunately in australia we dont have basements or root cellars. It would appear i will have to invest in a small refrigerator . At the moment the best i can do is a cooler. As of now i will be growing on a regular basis, so i will need to do something more permanent....storage wise.Turbo bucket,...and Virgin ground, at the moment i think the general consensus of opinion is "stable temperature and dry environment " Thanks VirginGround for the cooler suggestion my jars are now in a cooler for the moment......Turbo Bucket, I would have thought that there would always be microbial life in our buds ? and that the temperature inside the jars would have to be of a low enough temperature to render said microbial life inactive ? is 15c-21c low enough ? I think on this storage question we need some definitive answers. In the past few weeks i have been researching this i have come across so many fellow growers that are losing their bud , possibly due to incorrect storage. Could those of you reading this discussion , that have been storing their buds successfully long term please weigh in with your method of storage. Thankyou....

 

[TurboBucket]

I wash my buds in a 3 step process as do a good number of other folks here so no. There is no microbial life in the jars. Maybe you could try that next harvest.

A dedicated bud fridge will certainly do as you suggest and delay the growth of anything that is in the jars. But it won't necessarily prevent it. Storing it in a sufficiently dry environment will do more to inhibit bad things growing than low temperature will though.

People have stored herb for long periods of time in hot climates for a long time without refrigeration. I'd just hate to see you wasting money on something that may not actually be necessary.
If it's not a financial problem then by all means get a bud fridge. The low and slow drying method produces some very fine smooth smoke. I personally hope to add a full-size bud fridge so I by no means oppose your desire for one.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Unfortunately in australia we dont have basements or root cellars. It would appear i will have to invest in a small refrigerator .

...or a shovel, lol?

I had no idea that Australians didn't have basements in their houses. There are days when I wish I didn't (high water table ).

I was being somewhat facetious with my shovel comment above, but only somewhat. If you do decide to bury a quantity of bud, though, make sure you create an accurate map or else add a quantity of metal so you can find it with a metal detector later, especially if it's a relatively large amount of bud. Or... so I have read .

 

[mulga bill]

G,Day, Tortured Soul. Yes, i realize your shovel comment was just for a laugh, my missus is still laughing ( with a few extra comments of course ) she says not to bury it in the back yard because i would definitely end up with bloody holes everywhere looking for it.lol. because i would forget where i put the map. I will be out shopping for a small fridge tomorrow and take it from there .... Mulga Bill.

 

[mulga bill]

Tortured Soul, I must admit burying it did cross my mind .

 

[mulga bill]

G,Day, Turbo Bucket, I hear you on the 3 step washing process, i have not looked into that yet, i will look into that next grow. At the moment a fridge is about my only choice for an immediate fix. I get what you say about a dry environment for storing bud. This is why i started this conversation, i would like to hear from people in hot climates to find out how they do store their bud. I would have thought there would be microbial life in our stored herb no matter what we do ? and all we can do is slow down, or stop their activity by manipulating their environment,( temperature and moisture ) ?