When curing - How full or empty are your jars?

[Zafu]

I've read through many of these threads and can't find this exact question, so pardon me if I've missed it.

My first grow (outdoors) is doing well here in N. Cal. Growing three varieties (Acapulco Gold, Laughing Buddha and Vanilla Kush). All have started flowering (very early stage). In anticipation of the cure in a few months I've been purchasing food quality glass jars with excellent seals and about to order the Boveda 62% packs.

My question is this. Does it matter what the size of the jar is and how full do you folks fill it? I'm trying to anticipate what I'll do and also how many jars I'll need.

I like the 67oz jar size and just from sight, assume it will hold 8-16 ounces of bud but not sure if I should expect to fill it up to the top, or if it's possibly better to only fill up 75% to allow the additional drying during cure. Perhaps 75% and them 90% after a few weeks. New territory for me and hoping to get some experienced feedback on this.

My current plan is to harvest when it's around 80% cloudy 20% amber to ensure maturity but to keep the sativa energy high I prefer. Will Bud Wash per Doc's advise and 1,000 page thread on the subject here in this forum. Then I'll hang on string in my enclosed garage with fans on low just enough to move the air a bit and once twig cracks (5-8 days from what I've read), will jar, burp and store in cool dark place.

So excited. Have enjoyed a relationship with this magical plant since 1968 but my first grow. whoot

Thank you.

Zafu

 

[Zafu]

Would really appreciate some feedback on the above.

Also regarding size. I've located food quality glass jars and the 67 oz size appears to be a good size, but can also get ones 2 to 3x that size. As I've never grown my own before, just not sure.

Thank you kindly.

Zafu

 

[Croatsan]

Hi Zafu

67oz is a bit under two liters. I wouldn't go bigger that that. If for nothing else than for the advantage of, as the saying goes, not having all eggs in one basket. If you get mold or something...

It also makes it easier to aerate the buds during the curing process. And put the buds of, roughly, the same size into the same jar. They cure better and more uniformly.

When the curing is done, you can transfer it into a larger jar if you want, for a long-term storage.

That's what I would do.

Best.

 

[Zafu]

Thank you Croatsan!

Do you fill the jars up when curing all the way, or leave a certain amount of space for evaporation? Thinking 25% makes sense but not sure.

 

[Croatsan]

I would fill them all the way to the brim, but being careful not to pack the buds too tightly. There is no evaporation going on in a hermetically sealed jar. What's happening is that the moisture from the middle of the buds spreads towards the perifery.

That's why you open the jar periodically and then the moisture evaporates. The ends of the buds get dry, you seal them back up, and the process repeats.

I don't think anything will happen if you leave a quarter of a jar empty, but the general consensus is - less air inside, the better.

I think the magic RH number for inside the jars is 67%, but I'm not that analytical

 

[DeanB]

Hi Zafu, I don't have an answer about how much to fill the jars up. I've seen people showing pics with the bovida packs in the jars and most were full. I'm curious if it matters or not too. I bought different size jars and my biggest is 1.5L or 50 3/4 oz, just because the buds are long sativas and I then fill in around with the shorter ones.

I was wondering about the burping of the jars, I read some people open them and take the buds out for 20 min. at a time and others open the lid and close them. or open the lid for 20 min. then close.

 

[Croatsan]

The "burping", as you call it, is when the evaporation takes place. If you ask me, there is no point in just opening and closing the jars. Leave them open for, at least ten to twenty minutes so the moisture that has collected inside has enough time to evaporate.

 

[Zafu]

Great info.

I'm assuming the 62% Boveda Packs are the way to go?

Should we put the Boveda packs in from the start, or only after a certain amount of time the buds have been in the jars and burped? If so, about how long?

Thank you.

 

[DeanB]

What did people do before Boveda packs? I have only buds in the jars.

sent from my bong using wake n bake.

 

[Zafu]

So gonna take a stab at answering my own question on the Boveda timing.

From speaking with Boveda, the packs will only emit humidity if it needs to. Therefore, I see an advantage in using them as soon as the buds go in to the jars for curing even though there is ample evaporation remaining. I don't think the 62% humidity will prevent the buds from curing properly and might even ensure they do.

Any further thoughts or insight would be appreciated. If I don't hear back on this, I'll just assume placing the Boveda packs in from the start is fine.

Cheers -Zafu

UPDATE: So just ordered a bunch of Boveda and noticed this info. emailed to me:

"Can I use Boveda to cure?
Absolutely. We still recommend you dry the plants with your normal method to a moisture content just below where you'd like them to cure. ​ That way, your normal method does the heavy lifting and Boveda will fine-tune it."

So guess I'll be bottling/curing for the a while before tossing the Boveda in to the jars. ;p