Question about the fridge I got to try low and slow drying

[Lowender]

Hello!

new member here with my 1st grow in the 2nd wk of flower.

After reading the Dr ziggys thread for many days, I decided I'd like to try the low amd slow drying method.

I couldn't find any frost free mini fridges in my area so I picked up a 4.4 cu ft magic chef mini fridge without the freezer.

I saw @Growmee s comment that they had picked up a smaller version of the same fridge, so was pumped to get it dialed in.

However, I'm seeing some pretty wide humidity swings when empty, amd after adding a 12 pack of La croix cans as ballast.

Have tried several different temp settings amd I'm seeing rh swings around 51-74%. Havent tried the lowest (warmest) setting yet, but will be doing that next to see what happens.

are those big swings normal? It follows the compressor cycling on and off.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[SmokingWings]

I read through the 5 msgs that Growmee posted in the "low and slow" thread and he did not mention doing any testing of humidity or temperature readings. It reads like he just started drying after he found the grill accessories which he used to replace the original glass shelves.

You might want to do the same thing as soon as your next harvest is ready. Put some in the brown paper bags and put some buds on a shelf to see what happens with each method.

 

[Justin Goody]

I’ve also found testing humidity while fridge drying is not really necessary.
Keep the fridge temp where it normally would be (37 degrees F)
After their initial manicure I keep the buds in large paper bags, generally weighing 200ish grams or less including the bag.
I get a starting weight and then weight them again every morning. I shake the bags or turn them when possible during the day, at least once. If your weight is going down, it’s working.

The first days it will easily lose 10 grams or more of water weight.
Around day 7-8 it will start to slow and by day 8-9 (for me) it’s generally only losing 1-2 grams at night.
I do a second trim where I get rid of all larger leaves and cut the buds into no longer than 6” sections. Then one last night in the fridge usually does it.
I then get them acclimated to room temp and as long as the bags didn’t GAIN WEIGHT, they are ready for either turkey bags or jars for curing.

 

[SmokingWings]

I’ve also found testing humidity while fridge drying is not really necessary.
Keep the fridge temp where it normally would be (37 degrees F)

I have no way of testing humidity and not really sure it is necessary for what I am doing. I just cut the stalks of buds off he plant, trim excess leaves, cut longer stalks down to 4 to 6 inch lengths and put them into brown paper bags. Any sections of stems with just one or two buds and I cut the buds off and add to the paper bag. Write down the plant info and date on a piece of blue masking tape and put that on the bag. Fold bag and into the fridge.

The bag will get moved around if it is in the way so after a couple of days I look for it and check the buds. Back in the fridge and a couple of days later look for it again. Sometimes it takes 9 to 14 days to dry to the point I want them to be and sometimes it can go for as long as 21. The longest I remember was 25 days before removing all the buds from stalks and putting all the buds into a few jars with more of the blue masking tape with notes.

I could check the temperatures but I have never bothered. It is the kitchen fridge so we are constantly opening and closing it so know the temp at any particular time will tell me nothing worthwhile since the door will be opened soon enough and that will change every temp reading.

 

[Grundle Blumkin]

Hello!

new member here with my 1st grow in the 2nd wk of flower.

After reading the Dr ziggys thread for many days, I decided I'd like to try the low amd slow drying method.

I couldn't find any frost free mini fridges in my area so I picked up a 4.4 cu ft magic chef mini fridge without the freezer.

I saw @Growmee s comment that they had picked up a smaller version of the same fridge, so was pumped to get it dialed in.

However, I'm seeing some pretty wide humidity swings when empty, amd after adding a 12 pack of La croix cans as ballast.

Have tried several different temp settings amd I'm seeing rh swings around 51-74%. Havent tried the lowest (warmest) setting yet, but will be doing that next to see what happens.

are those big swings normal? It follows the compressor cycling on and off.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Your dealing with live plant material that is holding a ton of moister. The humidity levels will be all over the place for almost a full week or so. As they begin to dry out the humidity level will stabilize as long as the fridge is working properly. I would just brown bag it to be honest with you. I've done about every method you can think of enough to tell you that I've never noticed a big difference in regards to the terp profile, but to each his own

 

[grayeyes]

I agree and wonder when it is supposed to dry in the fridge.

 

[SmokingWings]

I agree and wonder when it is supposed to dry in the fridge.

Maybe the first few times it could be dry to an acceptable level in 5 to 9 days.

It will vary because of the amounts of moisture left in the buds. If the buds are still on stems then it can be a bit longer. Once the harvest is in the fridge it will start drying even though the buds do not feel any drier. The idea is to let the fridge do the drying in a low and steady way.

Putting the buds in a shallow pan on a shelf will go faster than if they are in a brown paper bag. Buds left on the section of stem will take longer than if they have been removed and are loose. The more often the harvest is checked then the more likely that it will dry faster but that defeats the idea of "low and slow".

One day when checking I reach into the bag and they feel very close. I have not done a dry without using paper bags so I don't know if this happens when the buds are in a pan or hanging from a shelf. One day when checking they feel very dry and my heart sinks. I have learned that I have to trust the method. That particular day when they feel dry it is just to let me know that the method is working and I am now close. Take the bag out and let it come to room temperature and they will return to feeling OK, maybe perfect. At that point either I jar them or put them back into the fridge for another day or two.

 

[Lowender]

@SmokingWings
@Justin Goody
@Grundle Blumkin

Seriously great info everyone!

I ended up returning that 4.4 cu ft unit, and picked up a true frost free unit. 10.1 cu ft magic chef.

Humidity is soooo much more stable in this one. Rh holds steady within a +- 5%, instead of 20-25% swings. My current plants are 3.5wks post-flip, and by the looks of things.. im going to need that extra fridge space! Lol

@grayeyes

Are you wondering how long on average it take to dry low and slow in a fridge?

 

[grayeyes]

Watch for mold.