Tangwena's Malawi-Style Cob Cure: Fermented Cannabis

[TorturedSoul]

Damn it Sue, I was totally against this... Waste one to two ounces of perfect nugs on nasty fermented weed? No, thanks! Like others have said, I’ve seen way too much bricked fermented weed to want to ever see anything like that again. Although I think they mostly started their cure process in the false bottom of a gasoline tank, which obviously changes things.

...or in a great big pile of questionable bud (which probably started "self-heating" in the center just like a compost pile does) at the harvest location.

Does the finished product from this process leave any hint of ammonia (etc.) at all?

Malawi cob

• SweetSue
• Mar 15, 2018

Following the sweat

MY CAT MAKES THOSE!!!

Lol.

I think rabbits do, too, but they're a lot smaller and rounder - I guess rabbits like leaves better than bud.

 

[SweetSue]

...or in a great big pile of questionable bud (which probably started "self-heating" in the center just like a compost pile does) at the harvest location.

Does the finished product from this process leave any hint of ammonia (etc.) at all?



MY CAT MAKES THOSE!!!

Lol.

I think rabbits do, too, but they're a lot smaller and rounder - I guess rabbits like leaves better than bud.

TS, we missed you. Lol!

I detected no ammonia residue after the sweat, and from Tangewna’s observations and those of the experienced crew, this doesn’t appear to be an expected fragrance.

 

[Oldbear]

TS, we missed you. Lol!

I detected no ammonia residue after the sweat, and from Tangewna’s observations and those of the experienced crew, this doesn’t appear to be an expected fragrance.

It is mentioned in the Ed Rosenthal link for a similar process.:

Forced Fermentation

Forced fermentation can be used with small quantities of material. It requires an enclose chamber in which heat and humidity can be regulated.

Pack the marijuana loosely in a kiln or other chamber, and raise the temperature to 135 degrees. Maintain humidity at 75 percent. Check the progress of the ferment periodically. Within a week the ferment should be completed. During this ferment there is a release of ammonia compounds, resulting in some foul odours, but upon completion of the ferment and drying, the marijuana should smoke sweet and mellow.

 

[lazyfish]

Tricky stuff... these last 2 comments. I have thought the same with the tobacco fermentation results and ours. A lot of other chemicals seem to be produced than I have read are reported in the cobs. No burning ammonia smells have been reported in cobs.

 

[SweetSue]

It is mentioned in the Ed Rosenthal link for a similar process.:

Forced Fermentation

Forced fermentation can be used with small quantities of material. It requires an enclose chamber in which heat and humidity can be regulated.

Pack the marijuana loosely in a kiln or other chamber, and raise the temperature to 135 degrees. Maintain humidity at 75 percent. Check the progress of the ferment periodically. Within a week the ferment should be completed. During this ferment there is a release of ammonia compounds, resulting in some foul odours, but upon completion of the ferment and drying, the marijuana should smoke sweet and mellow.

I suppose this is true. It follows what we know of fermentation, but I see it as a non-issue. I agree with Tangwena that Ed's writing on the subject lacks the tone of experience.

I can tell you that the sweat didn't produce any smells I found unsavory at all, and from Tangwena's accounts the smell simply gets sweeter as the fermenting progresses.

 

[Pennywise]

So many of these experts are writers and not researchers.

 

[Oldbear]

Sue Ive been thinking about, and researching, the adding moisture to dried cannabis question and if this will work.

Its possible that the rehydration wont work because the material has dried enough that the sugars, enzymes, bacteria, are 'dead'. If so, it would make sense that trying rehydration and cob attempts would go moldy.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Its possible that the rehydration wont work because the material has dried enough that the sugars, enzymes, bacteria, are 'dead'. If so, it would make sense that trying rehydration and cob attempts would go moldy.

Are you thinking about how we've always been advised that one cannot cure bud that has already been allowed to dry out too much? (I am.)

Fermentation... Hmm... Add some brewer's yeast when you rehydrate that dry bud, lol?

 

[SweetSue]

Sue Ive been thinking about, and researching, the adding moisture to dried cannabis question and if this will work.

Its possible that the rehydration wont work because the material has dried enough that the sugars, enzymes, bacteria, are 'dead'. If so, it would make sense that trying rehydration and cob attempts would go moldy.

Hmmm..... I hear you. I also got to thinking about what TS said about rehydrating his with bread, and....well.... I have some Devil’s Carnival I can play with. It's been stable at 62% RH for a while now.

Rehydration experiment

• SweetSue
• Mar 15, 2018

Devil’s Carnival at 62% RH

I put a slice of fresh bread inside a square of silk and suspended it inside the jar. I'll leave it overnight and see what it does to raise the humidity of the buds. If they get above 68% without the bread in the jar I'll cob it all up and we'll see. It'll give me a chance to try the dehydrator for the sweat stage.

Rehydration experiment

• SweetSue
• Mar 15, 2018

Devil’s Carnival with a piece of bread in the jar

I still have another ounce in reserve, so this small amount isn't a devastating loss if it fails.

 

[JustMeds]

The lid creeeeeks open on the box..... If you had say 5 grams of very fresh high RH bud and put it in the center and positioned the dried around it in the cob. You would have any live microb's and some good moisture all in one.

 

[SweetSue]

The lid creeeeeks open on the box..... If you had say 5 grams of very fresh high RH bud and put it in the center and positioned the dried around it in the cob. You would have any live microb's and some good moisture all in one.

What an excellent idea JustMeds. I know.... I can trim off some low-lying Jamaican buds. It'll add some beta-Caryophyllene to the mix. Ooooo.... Neat idea. Tangwena talked about mixing chemovars. This'll be my first try.

Goosebumps....... always a good sign. Lol!

I have 20 grams of dried Malawi starting the 3 month waiting game for the cobs to finish.

Malawi 1.2

• SweetSue
• Mar 15, 2018

 

[lazyfish]

When I rehydrated my buds to cob I sprayed water on them with a spray bottle.

I used one gram of water for every gram of bud (trying to recreate the 60-80 % moisture content which is by weight) and I don't think they were wet enough going into the sweat. The corn husks were much dryer than they looked after the sweat.

I opened the vacuum bags today.The only way I could tell they were moist was because the cob was pliable and easy to bend and break apart. The husk was just barely moist.

I'll smoke some tomorrow and give a smoke report. This is only a 17 day old cob so it's not a good place to judge, but I don't think it worked like it was supposed to. I can't wait to have fresh buds to use.

Lazy-

edit: those are fresh (dried/glass cured) buds next to the cobs for comparison.

Dr Grinspoon

• lazyfish
• Mar 15, 2018

Dr Grinspoon

• lazyfish
• Mar 15, 2018

Dr Grinspoon cob

• lazyfish
• Mar 15, 2018

Unknown sativa cob

• lazyfish
• Mar 15, 2018

Cob

• lazyfish
• Mar 15, 2018

 

[SweetSue]

They look pretty good to me lazyfish. Evidentially something happened. When you get them fully cured will you be experimenting with chewing them?

 

[SweetSue]

This crazy-ass platform is going to drive me nuts!!!! I spend more time waiting to see what I actually wrote...... It's a good thing I'm having so much fun.

 

[lazyfish]

I definitely plan on chewing it.

 

[overlord]

Thanks Sue,

This is where I wish the system would inform me of new threads of the people I follow.

I won't get to try it this time due to lack of a vacuum sealing device, but it is now on my list of things to do.

BTW.. around 77 or 78 and the first time I got high was on Colombian Gold, and I must say we smoked two joints and I had the same sort of experience you did.

Nothing like it since although close on a couple of occasions. Yup thats right, that quarter ounce that we removed 100 seeds from did that at less of a THC percentage than what we see these days.

I also recall getting what was at the time (mid 80's) being called Black skunk bud. The guy that had it said it was buried to cure and that is how it got black. have not heard anything more on the topic until now, back then info was unreliable, but maybe he somewhat spoke truth. I know we had a house of 40 people or so completely ripped.

 

[SweetSue]

Thanks Sue,

This is where I wish the system would inform me of new threads of the people I follow.

I won't get to try it this time due to lack of a vacuum sealing device, but it is now on my list of things to do.

BTW.. around 77 or 78 and the first time I got high was on Colombian Gold, and I must say we smoked two joints and I had the same sort of experience you did.

Nothing like it since although close on a couple of occasions. Yup thats right, that quarter ounce that we removed 100 seeds from did that at less of a THC percentage than what we see these days.

I also recall getting what was at the time (mid 80's) being called Black skunk bud. The guy that had it said it was buried to cure and that is how it got black. have not heard anything more on the topic until now, back then info was unreliable, but maybe he somewhat spoke truth. I know we had a house of 40 people or so completely ripped.

When's your next harvest scheduled? I want you to try this really bad. Lol! If you can get a vacuum sealer within two days you can do this now. I know, I know, in its right time. Hehe!

 

[overlord]

When's your next harvest scheduled? I want you to try this really bad. Lol! If you can get a vacuum sealer within two days you can do this now. I know, I know, in its right time. Hehe!

Next harvest is about to commence tonight, and unfortunately I won't be able to acquire a vacuum sealer in time.

 

[overlord]

BTW, I have twenty seeds of 1972 Colombian Gold from USC to pop one day.

Saving that for the day I am able to afford another tent. We grew these outdoors in Florida back in the day and I know how big and how long they can take to finish.

 

[SweetSue]

BTW, I have twenty seeds of 1972 Colombian Gold from USC to pop one day.

Saving that for the day I am able to afford another tent. We grew these outdoors in Florida back in the day and I know how big and how long they can take to finish.

Oh my gosh! I have two regulars, hoping for a female. I plan to have the cob cured by my birthday, beginning of December.

I have a used 4x4 up for grabs, if you're interested in covering shipping. I personally think it'd be cheaper to buy a new one. It frightens me to think of what shipping may be, but I don't need it, and I hate having it sit unused.