Drying, Curing & Storage: Paper Bag Method

Smokin Moose

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex Moderator
There are many methods to dry and cure plants, what I am going to explain is just my method of doing it. First off let me say how nugs dry depends on the strain, some dry tight and hard, others dry soft and fluffy. There is many ways of drying your herb and each has its good points and solid methods. This is simply the way I do it.

Heres what I do:
* Once the plants are mature and ready for harvest, cut the plants down and hang them upside down in dark & dry area.

* Remove all fan leaves and other big leaves.

* Let the plants hang for about 3 days or until the outsides of the bud begin to feel dry. You can gently squeeze the buds and you should be able to feel that they are still soft and wet in the middle.

* Remove all the buds from the plant, then clip and manicure them as normal. The left over material from this step is excellent for making oil, hash, and bubble!

* I then place the buds on empty cardboard beer flats in a dark and dry area so they may continue to slowly dry.

* I like to flip the buds over daily until they are nearly brittle dry, sometimes this will take over a week for the bigger buds and colas. Again you can gently squeeze the buds to ensure they are dry in the middle.

* Once the buds have dried on the flats, put them into paper bags. I like to use the large paper bags that you can find at most grocery stores. Put about 3 inches of buds into the bottom of a bag and roll the top over as though it were a lunch bag.

* Open the bag once or twice daily, mixing and shaking the buds around. They'll sweat out the moisture from the insides of the buds to the outside where they will dry. Doing this ensures they will dry slowly which leaves a nice smooth product.

* Once the buds are dry in the paper bags, I like to place them into plastic zip-lock bags for two or three days.

* Watch the buds to see if they become wet again or the bag sweats after leaving them in the plastic. This tells you that they are not dry and should be placed back into the paper bags for further drying. One sure way to tell if the buds are completely dry is to bend the buds. If the stem within the bud snap when bent, they you know it is dry. If the stem bends and does not snap or crack then it is a pretty good indication that there is still moisture within the bud.

* Once you are certain the buds are dry by leaving them in the plastic bags for two or three days, then you can place them into mason jars to cure. Using this method eliminates having to open the jars daily and letting excess moisture dry which can form on the glass. I find it can mould too easily in the glass if not watched carefully.

* At this point when everything is bone dry, I like to package up my herbs into appropriate sized bags and store in tupperware containers which I place into my freezer. A warning if your ganja is not bone dry, it can and will mould and spoil in the freezer if you are not certain everything is absolutely ready for this type of storage.

* If you decide to place your buds into jars I would suggest to continue to check the jars every day for a week or two until you're sure they are dry. Then you can vacuum seal and store the jars away in a safe and dark location for a rainy day.

Now you can open one jar at a time and enjoy. I've found that nugs kept in jars for 6+ months cure well and taste great, however nugs sealed in jars for over a year are incredible.
 
Re: Drying, Curing, and Storage (Paper Bag Method)

I was under the impression that the word "dank" was supposed to reflect not just smell, but that slightly moist, cured texture (like tobacco). A friend of mine showed me what he picked up at a dispensary, and to be honest I was surprised at how brittle dry it was (maybe this is done on purpose). The hairs actually broke off of the outside of the buds and formed a colored powder at the bottom of the vial just by handling. It smoked okay, and he got more because it was lightweight, but I like the stickiness myself. Does this method bring that stickiness back in the curing (after drying it to the point of being brittle)? Or does the weed just get brittle on the outside of the bud?
 
Re: Drying, Curing, and Storage (Paper Bag Method)

Im planning to do geurilla grows at my camp in the summer and for the first year or two im not really gonna have a place to dry/cure/store the bud so my plan was to do it all in the bush... (my camp is private as hell. theres no one that will be walking around where i grow or store my buds)

String lines from tree to tree and hang out in the open air to dry (keepin tarps close by incase it looks like its gonna rain)

Then i was plannin to build a wooden box to put my mason jars (or zip lock bags in Tupperware) in and put it in a hole in the ground and cover it with a 2-3 inch layer of dirt. Then i could just go out there and dig it up and bring an ounce or 2 into town everytime i need it and cover it back up... that way i dont have to have a few pounds sitten in my apartment that i could get caught with.

Do you think that would work out or am i going to run into mold problems and stuff?
 
Re: Drying, Curing, and Storage (Paper Bag Method)

bump :cheer:
 
Re: Drying, Curing, and Storage (Paper Bag Method)

yeah, I know a guy with those thots and ideas. they were rolled over on and have done the 19 yr. sentence. Someone who knew the underground locale got themselves outa big trouble with the info they got from a spying program. I have nothing to say about these kind of people BUT, sow bad seeds, reap sour fruit. what goes around ya kno. and u seem to like to tell of your plans. Loose lips sink ships and all in them. nothing beats tire lips and a no tell lifestyle. I live w/ a pair of loose lips and it drives me a little. I don't like stress so i make the best of situations. "Make the best of a bad situation". :thumb::circle-of-love::cheesygrinsmiley::partyboy::rollit::green_heart::high-five::shhh::shhh::shhh::shhh::shhh::shhh::shhh::shhh:
 
There are many methods to dry and cure plants, what I am going to explain is just my method of doing it. First off let me say how nugs dry depends on the strain, some dry tight and hard, others dry soft and fluffy. There is many ways of drying your herb and each has its good points and solid methods. This is simply the way I do it.

Heres what I do:
* Once the plants are mature and ready for harvest, cut the plants down and hang them upside down in dark & dry area.

* Remove all fan leaves and other big leaves.

* Let the plants hang for about 3 days or until the outsides of the bud begin to feel dry. You can gently squeeze the buds and you should be able to feel that they are still soft and wet in the middle.

* Remove all the buds from the plant, then clip and manicure them as normal. The left over material from this step is excellent for making oil, hash, and bubble!

* I then place the buds on empty cardboard beer flats in a dark and dry area so they may continue to slowly dry.

* I like to flip the buds over daily until they are nearly brittle dry, sometimes this will take over a week for the bigger buds and colas. Again you can gently squeeze the buds to ensure they are dry in the middle.

* Once the buds have dried on the flats, put them into paper bags. I like to use the large paper bags that you can find at most grocery stores. Put about 3 inches of buds into the bottom of a bag and roll the top over as though it were a lunch bag.

* Open the bag once or twice daily, mixing and shaking the buds around. They'll sweat out the moisture from the insides of the buds to the outside where they will dry. Doing this ensures they will dry slowly which leaves a nice smooth product.

* Once the buds are dry in the paper bags, I like to place them into plastic zip-lock bags for two or three days.

* Watch the buds to see if they become wet again or the bag sweats after leaving them in the plastic. This tells you that they are not dry and should be placed back into the paper bags for further drying. One sure way to tell if the buds are completely dry is to bend the buds. If the stem within the bud snap when bent, they you know it is dry. If the stem bends and does not snap or crack then it is a pretty good indication that there is still moisture within the bud.

* Once you are certain the buds are dry by leaving them in the plastic bags for two or three days, then you can place them into mason jars to cure. Using this method eliminates having to open the jars daily and letting excess moisture dry which can form on the glass. I find it can mould too easily in the glass if not watched carefully.

* At this point when everything is bone dry, I like to package up my herbs into appropriate sized bags and store in tupperware containers which I place into my freezer. A warning if your ganja is not bone dry, it can and will mould and spoil in the freezer if you are not certain everything is absolutely ready for this type of storage.

* If you decide to place your buds into jars I would suggest to continue to check the jars every day for a week or two until you're sure they are dry. Then you can vacuum seal and store the jars away in a safe and dark location for a rainy day.

Now you can open one jar at a time and enjoy. I've found that nugs kept in jars for 6+ months cure well and taste great, however nugs sealed in jars for over a year are incredible.
Does freezing the bud not kill off the thc..terpenes...or do they not fall off when frozen every time they're handled or moved about in the containers?
 
I use paper bags for the first 48 hours but my humidity must be lower than yours since they are ready to go in them jars at that point (for me at least)
I think it takes a couple of grows to get a feel for what the bud should feel like when ready to jar.
When I do mine this way I put a hygrometer in the jar and usually have to burp every 12 to 24 hours instead of several times a day.
 
I use paper bags for the first 48 hours but my humidity must be lower than yours since they are ready to go in them jars at that point (for me at least)
I think it takes a couple of grows to get a feel for what the bud should feel like when ready to jar.
When I do mine this way I put a hygrometer in the jar and usually have to burp every 12 to 24 hours instead of several times a day.
Hang them in cardboard boxes for 3 too 5 days at 19c too 21c...wait til its a t 69% rh then jar..burp ouple times a day for a week then every couple days another week...it steadies out at 62-64% in jar...this was a bagseed grown under 450w cfl...186g wet..72g dry
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I use paper bags for the first 48 hours but my humidity must be lower than yours since they are ready to go in them jars at that point (for me at least)
I think it takes a couple of grows to get a feel for what the bud should feel like when ready to jar.
When I do mine this way I put a hygrometer in the jar and usually have to burp every 12 to 24 hours instead of several times a day.
The rh here is 35%, so I'm going straight into the paper bags. Even then the rh is Only 45% in the bag. I left a.plant last week out too long and it went from still a bit spongy to oh shit it's too dry in like 12 hours.
 
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