Curing cannabis flowers is a process that takes between 1-2 weeks but, for some growers, can last as long as 6 months. The curing process helps to preserve the potency and flavor of your bud so you get more from each individual harvest and ensure a quality product. This post will discuss how curing works, why we cure our cannabis buds, different methods of curing, and how curing can affect your final product.
What is curing?
Curing is the process of drying and curing your cannabis buds to achieve the best flavor, smell, and effects. The purpose of curing is to prevent mold from growing on your buds, while also deepening the flavors and aromas. Curing also helps to improve the psychoactive effects of THC by allowing it to be more efficiently absorbed into your body. Curing your cannabis crop is a fairly simple process that can be done with relatively few tools and supplies, but curing your buds properly will require patience and attention to detail.
Why do we cure our cannabis buds after harvest?
After drying your buds the process isn’t over yet as there is one more step in the process and it is called curing. The curing process reduces the amount of chlorophyll in your cannabis as well as removes some of the water weight which will increase the cannabinoid content and improve the taste. It does this by allowing the cannabis plant to slowly dry in a controlled environment for gradual water weight loss. As the water in the marijuana plant evaporates the THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids become more potent. The curing process will also allow your buds to age and achieve their final potency. The bud you receive from a dispensary should have been properly cured and it is the last stage before you can consume your cannabis.
What factors can affect the curing process of my cannabis plants?
The temperature, humidity, light, and air circulation all play a part in curing cannabis correctly. Let’s take a look at all the contributing factors to the curing process below.
Temperature
You want to cure your cannabis buds in a place where the temperature is between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit or roughly room temperature. The lower end of this scale will produce slower curing but it can lead to better results as well as prevent mold from growing on your bud. If you are curing at higher temperatures then these more favorable conditions for curing won’t be present, so curing will take place quickly but you run the risk of moldy cannabis. By keeping your buds away from heat sources and high temperatures you prevent the heat from destroying the cannabinoids. If you are curing your cannabis buds in an environment that is too hot, it will decrease the duration of curing but also make curing less effective as well. 70 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature for curing for us to ensure the best bud quality.
Humidity
The humidity should be around 60%. Most cannabis growers agree that the ideal curing relative humidity percentage is between 58% and 62%. The perfect curing environment is one where there is some circulation and little to no moisture in the air, so allowing for proper ventilation during curing can help achieve this goal; however, unlike the drying process, this is achieved manually in one of our processes for curing. If too much humidity exists in the curing environment then your buds have a chance of mold during curing. If you are curing cannabis indoors, maintaining this humidity level is slightly easier especially if you have a humidifier or dehumidifier.
***Please note that the temperature and humidity that are optimal for curing can vary from grower to grower. Usually, the temperature is within 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit while the relative humidity ranges between 58-62%. There is no one way to cure cannabis and other’s methods will work. The time it takes to cure will depend on your buds and the surrounding environment.***
Light
Most growers agree to curing their cannabis buds in complete darkness works best for them as lights can affect curing. Darkness will prevent any light exposure from affecting curing and degrading THC content.
Air Circulation
This factor is crucial for curing as well because if there isn’t proper air circulation, curing will take longer or even spoil because not enough oxygen is getting to the buds. This can cause your buds to mold, which causes it to degrade and become unusable. For the jarring process of curing below, air circulation means opening the jars on a daily basis.
What are the different methods of curing cannabis?
There are two very popular methods for curing cannabis today. One is the tried and true old school method, while the newest form relies on the technology of a new product. Check out both methods below.
Jarring method
The first curing method is the old standard of putting your cannabis buds in airtight containers, usually quart-sized (although any size will do) canning jars with Mason jars being the most popular. This is a great option if you have limited space because the curing process will take up less than a cubic foot of space.
Sanitize your canning jars and lids in hot water, then let them cool and dry completely before filling them with your newly dried buds. You will want to fill the jars most of the way full, but not so full that they can’t breathe, so about 2/3s to 3/4s full. It will help tremendously if you place a hygrometer (a meter to read relative humidity) in the jar with the buds. Place a lid on each jar and tighten it down snugly.
Place your curing jars in a cool, dark place and let your curing cannabis sit for about a week, opening the jars to release any excess moisture every day and moving the buds around by pouring them out and putting them back in the jar after a few minutes. The process of opening your jars and moving your buds during curing is called “burping”. You can open your jars a couple of times a day for the first few days if necessary. Remember, you want to keep the humidity around 58%-62% so if your weed is well above this percentage you should burp multiple times a day at first. If your weed is below this percentage you can leave the lids on longer to help retain moisture. If the humidity continues to stay low, you can always add a 58% or 62% humidity pack to the jar.
After two weeks have passed of burping daily, you can push down on your buds with slightly more force than before without them being squishy or moist. Open each jar and smell the contents after it sits overnight again in that cool dark place; if there is any hint of mold in the jar, you will need to throw it out. There is a chance your jars may smell of hay or ammonia. Hay is a normal smell and will dissipate over time if cured properly. If you smell ammonia, that is anaerobic bacteria breaking down your buds and you may want to leave them out of the jars exposed to oxygen for longer when burping. If there is no sign of either when you open your curing jars after two weeks, the curing process has been completed, and enjoy your dank buds.
Bags
The second method relies on an innovative new product that allows growers to cure in what looks like plastic bags. These bags are permeable though and keep the relative moisture percentage in the 58-62% range, which is the sweet spot. All you have to do is seal your buds in these resealable bags with a hygrometer. When the humidity is in the optimal range, simply heat seal the bag and place it in a cool dark place for at least two weeks, and then open whenever you desire to consume your cannabis.
***Please note that some growers believe a bud tastes best after up to 6 months of curing.***
Should I trim before or after drying?
This is a question that I hear often from new growers. A lot of people want to know what the best time is to trim your cannabis buds. There are two common methods for trimming, wet trimming and dry trimming.
Wet trimming
This is when you trim the buds while they are still wet, or before they have started drying or curing. Some people prefer this method because the leaves haven’t shriveled up from drying so it is easier. Removing the fan leaves and sugar leaves also helps your harvest dry quicker which could help prevent mold. It also helps to conserve space as all the fan leaves are chopped away.
The downside of wet trimming is that many people feel it produces inferior buds. By stripping away all the leaves the plant dries quicker and many believe that having those leaves during drying helps to produce the ideal moisture for the plant. When a plant dries quicker it will also have less chlorophyll broken down which will cause the smoke to be harsher.
Dry trimming
Dry trimming is when you trim the plants after they are done drying but before they have started to cure. Dry trimming involves removing all the sugar and fan leaves after they have dried and shriveled up into the buds. This makes this method harder for trimming. It also keeps your fan leaves and sugar leaves during the drying process which can help them retain moisture and dry at an ideal pace. It also produces a much smoother and superior smoke.
There are a few downsides to dry trimming. One is that it is much harder to trim than wet trimming and therefore should take more time. Dry trimming also means the plants dried for longer and had a greater chance of getting moldy. Dry trimming also requires your drying area to be larger due to fan leaves sticking out and taking up more space.
Summary
Curing cannabis is the process of further drying and curing your buds to improve their flavor, smell, and potency and to prepare them for long-term storage if necessary. It’s important to ensure proper curing for your buds to get the best results. There are two different popular methods you can use, but the most important factor is ensuring that your buds are cured properly and at the right humidity and temperature to prevent mold.
Thank you for reading our article, should you have any further questions please see our articles about drying, temperature, humidity, mold, and bud rot.
To learn more about growing cannabis at home consider checking out our guides on: Getting Started, Troubleshooting, and Optimizing your Grow or search our Knowledge Base.
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