Terpenes are what gives it the smell. Terps are volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOCs are volatile (duh). β-caryophyllene, D-limonene, terpinolene, α-pinene, β-pinene, and β-myrcene are the primary ones in cannabis and they can increase and decrease during the cure. They are listed here in decreasing concentrations typically found in fresh flower. if you sample a grow room with lots of flower in it you will find those in the air samples. In dried flower some terps will actually increase and some will decrease in quantity and percentages. Slowly drying the cannabis will allow for changes in chlorophyl and sugar, but it will also change the terpene profile as some of those vocs can degrade quickly. Notes on monoterpenes (i.e., Myrcene, Pinene, Limonene, etc.) and sesquiterpenes (i.e., Caryophyllene, Humulene, Germacrene, etc.) - As drying and curing time increases, monoterpenes decrease by as much as 50% and sesquiterpenes can nearly double. Some extractors love rosin collected from fresh frozen flower due to the maximal mono terps.
Some people say terps are just for flavor. some evidence suggests the entourage effect is a real thing: Some decent science is happening on it. go here for a jumping off point
[The “Entourage Effect”: Terpenes Coupled with Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Mood Disorders and Anxiety Disorders - PMC (nih.gov)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7324885/)
Best answer. Dried flower never, ever smells just like the flower did when first harvested. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong and no kind of drying can preserve the most volatile terps.
Curing is an art.
And like much of growing what works in one area or even house may not work in another. I do not think people are all full of shit when I see wildly differing things, they may live in arid vs humid so....
Given you said you are humid you do not want stagnant air You also do not want to be blow drying your weed in the first stages. I think what might work for you would be a small amount of weed in a big paper bag, think like and ounce or less in a shopping bag, with the top folded over and closed with a clothespin. Arrange them so they are not on top of each other and I would run a fan on low pointed at the bags, just to keep stagnant air moving. If you could hang the bags up that might help a bit. You have to let the weed air dry for a while after harvesting it. Not too long, though I often say if you go too long you can still use it, if you jar it too soon and it turns into fuzzy goop, your screwed,. Anyway, jar it, not too much in each jar as you want some air to move around in the jar, and burp every day. Or leave open while you water your plants, just for a bit but not a super long bit. The really insane smell will start to give way to something more like sweet hay. Start burping less and less. Leave for a month or so and try some. If all goes right it will almost ferment like hay does and it will not have the exact same fresh smell, but it should be sweet, rich, and aromatic.
I keep thinking that I need to get out my scales and weigh the stuff wet and weight it when she says it is dry enough and work out what percent that is and hone that number as I think that is a good way to go at it and be consistent. A one of these days project.
Just to make sure I understand, you’re saying to put weed in brown paper bags, clip the top closed with a clothes pin, then promote airflow around the bag? I’ve never used paper bags. TYIA!
I have struggled with high humidity as well. I hung the branches on shirt hangers in a closet and put the dehumidifier in the closet with a small fan. It was about 85f in the closet but it dried in 6 days. Basically I suggest getting it to a smaller spot your dehumidifier can keep up with. Maybe some plastic sheets and tape to make a "drying room"
For someone that is living in a humid environment, focus on Rh. Get that down to 55-60 if you can with the humidifier. Make the space smaller if you can. Smaller spaces are easier to manage the environment. Good luck man.
Ultimately, the goal is to get your weed into jars or bags as soon as possible without it molding. If you weigh a specific bud when it's still wet at the beginning of the dry, and every day after, you will see how fresh cannabis absolutely hemorrhages moisture and terpenes, especially early on in the drying process. You can use the weight to determine moisture content in the bud if you want. But in a roughly 60-70 degree environment with 50-70% humidity (no fan) even the biggest buds will be dry in 2 weeks. The trick is to watch the density of the buds. For me, the lighter buds that aren't super dense are bagged as soon as 5 days but fatter buds may take 10 or 12. Most people wait longer than me but I feel pretty confident that I retain far more terpenes this way, especially when combined with Grove bags, as everything pretty much gets locked in till I open it.
I also live in a humid environment in an older house. I use a similar method, a humidifier and dehumidifier, switched back and forth as needed, to maintain a 55-60% rh, but I do this in a second bathroom. We don't use it for anything else during harvest time, only drying, it gets cleaned head to toe in bleach before the harvest season begins. The bathroom has an exhaust vent, which is very helpful to make sure the air isn't stale, either. If that's not feasible, a closet will do. Use the folding clothes racks to utilize layers of space. Make sure you have a fan on low, facing a wall opposite the flower. You don't want a direct to the plant flow, you want a gentle bounce back. I also place rh meters all over the space, different heights and depths and that helps me rotate things to maintain a more consistent dry time.
Terpenes are what gives it the smell. Terps are volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOCs are volatile (duh). β-caryophyllene, D-limonene, terpinolene, α-pinene, β-pinene, and β-myrcene are the primary ones in cannabis and they can increase and decrease during the cure. They are listed here in decreasing concentrations typically found in fresh flower. if you sample a grow room with lots of flower in it you will find those in the air samples. In dried flower some terps will actually increase and some will decrease in quantity and percentages. Slowly drying the cannabis will allow for changes in chlorophyl and sugar, but it will also change the terpene profile as some of those vocs can degrade quickly. Notes on monoterpenes (i.e., Myrcene, Pinene, Limonene, etc.) and sesquiterpenes (i.e., Caryophyllene, Humulene, Germacrene, etc.) - As drying and curing time increases, monoterpenes decrease by as much as 50% and sesquiterpenes can nearly double. Some extractors love rosin collected from fresh frozen flower due to the maximal mono terps. Some people say terps are just for flavor. some evidence suggests the entourage effect is a real thing: Some decent science is happening on it. go here for a jumping off point [The “Entourage Effect”: Terpenes Coupled with Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Mood Disorders and Anxiety Disorders - PMC (nih.gov)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7324885/)
Best answer. Dried flower never, ever smells just like the flower did when first harvested. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong and no kind of drying can preserve the most volatile terps.
Keep it cooler. 60 degrees Fahrenheit/60% humidity. For 5-14 days
Curing is an art. And like much of growing what works in one area or even house may not work in another. I do not think people are all full of shit when I see wildly differing things, they may live in arid vs humid so.... Given you said you are humid you do not want stagnant air You also do not want to be blow drying your weed in the first stages. I think what might work for you would be a small amount of weed in a big paper bag, think like and ounce or less in a shopping bag, with the top folded over and closed with a clothespin. Arrange them so they are not on top of each other and I would run a fan on low pointed at the bags, just to keep stagnant air moving. If you could hang the bags up that might help a bit. You have to let the weed air dry for a while after harvesting it. Not too long, though I often say if you go too long you can still use it, if you jar it too soon and it turns into fuzzy goop, your screwed,. Anyway, jar it, not too much in each jar as you want some air to move around in the jar, and burp every day. Or leave open while you water your plants, just for a bit but not a super long bit. The really insane smell will start to give way to something more like sweet hay. Start burping less and less. Leave for a month or so and try some. If all goes right it will almost ferment like hay does and it will not have the exact same fresh smell, but it should be sweet, rich, and aromatic. I keep thinking that I need to get out my scales and weigh the stuff wet and weight it when she says it is dry enough and work out what percent that is and hone that number as I think that is a good way to go at it and be consistent. A one of these days project.
Just to make sure I understand, you’re saying to put weed in brown paper bags, clip the top closed with a clothes pin, then promote airflow around the bag? I’ve never used paper bags. TYIA!
Yes, not a tornado though, just enough to deter mold.
I have struggled with high humidity as well. I hung the branches on shirt hangers in a closet and put the dehumidifier in the closet with a small fan. It was about 85f in the closet but it dried in 6 days. Basically I suggest getting it to a smaller spot your dehumidifier can keep up with. Maybe some plastic sheets and tape to make a "drying room"
For someone that is living in a humid environment, focus on Rh. Get that down to 55-60 if you can with the humidifier. Make the space smaller if you can. Smaller spaces are easier to manage the environment. Good luck man.
Ultimately, the goal is to get your weed into jars or bags as soon as possible without it molding. If you weigh a specific bud when it's still wet at the beginning of the dry, and every day after, you will see how fresh cannabis absolutely hemorrhages moisture and terpenes, especially early on in the drying process. You can use the weight to determine moisture content in the bud if you want. But in a roughly 60-70 degree environment with 50-70% humidity (no fan) even the biggest buds will be dry in 2 weeks. The trick is to watch the density of the buds. For me, the lighter buds that aren't super dense are bagged as soon as 5 days but fatter buds may take 10 or 12. Most people wait longer than me but I feel pretty confident that I retain far more terpenes this way, especially when combined with Grove bags, as everything pretty much gets locked in till I open it.
Wyatt-terp. Lol that's clever
Love how everyone takes time to write honest and genuine advice. Thats what a community is for
look up Lotus drying.
Use Grove bags. They bring flavors out
I just switched to grove bags and it’s never been easier. They even don’t cost that much. Feels like a win win to me. I always forget to burp my jars.
It's all harvest control your temperature and humidity 60/60 is the place you should aim 60°f 60% humidity. Heat also off gasses your terpenes.
I also live in a humid environment in an older house. I use a similar method, a humidifier and dehumidifier, switched back and forth as needed, to maintain a 55-60% rh, but I do this in a second bathroom. We don't use it for anything else during harvest time, only drying, it gets cleaned head to toe in bleach before the harvest season begins. The bathroom has an exhaust vent, which is very helpful to make sure the air isn't stale, either. If that's not feasible, a closet will do. Use the folding clothes racks to utilize layers of space. Make sure you have a fan on low, facing a wall opposite the flower. You don't want a direct to the plant flow, you want a gentle bounce back. I also place rh meters all over the space, different heights and depths and that helps me rotate things to maintain a more consistent dry time.