Art of the Cure

Bandit420

The Texican
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Like trying to start a man's heart with a down power line, there's no real wrong way to do it as long as it works.

I go rather simple. Dry to snap and slow burn, use humidity control packs or bags, store in a fridge at 55*F, and patience.

Before and after, 75 day cure in Grove bags

February 10th, first day going into cure

the cure.png

Day 75, sample of the same buds going into my daily burn stash. Like fine wine and cheeses, It only gets better with age

IMG_4530.JPG
 
Like trying to start a man's heart with a down power line, there's no real wrong way to do it as long as it works.

I go rather simple. Dry to snap and slow burn, use humidity control packs or bags, store in a fridge at 55*F, and patience.

Before and after, 75 day cure in Grove bags

February 10th, first day going into cure

View attachment 1460

Day 75, sample of the same buds going into my daily burn stash. Like fine wine and cheeses, It only gets better with age

View attachment 1459
Just tried a grove bag from Red gave me - I’m torn did it work yes appears it is ! Is it better than my jars ? Idk grove bag seems a little dry but I didn’t ck moisture
 
Just tried a grove bag from Red gave me - I’m torn did it work yes appears it is ! Is it better than my jars ? Idk grove bag seems a little dry but I didn’t ck moisture
For what I do, Groves work the same as C-Vaults with Boveda packs for me but make better use of storage space.
I haven't ever had any issues with Grove or Boveda packs like others have posted on forums. Not sure why but they all just work as intended for me. I have some little meters to stick in there but after a few rounds they always say the same thing, keeping the RH within 1-3% of stated control, so now I don't bother with sticking meters in the bag or container.

I do dry cold though. And long. So maybe that helps humidity control work better IDK. But yeah I dry in the low 60s, RH around 50%, soft breeze, air scrubber and purifier in the drying space, and it takes about 3 weeks to dry buds that come off the branch with rock hard density to a point where they burn slow yet not moist.
 
Like trying to start a man's heart with a down power line, there's no real wrong way to do it as long as it works.
:geek: Cute, and I couldn't agree more (y)

add to that, at least IMHO, what are you growing it for? In my case, 95+% of what I grow goes into a tube and BHO comes out. If I want honey oil color and consistancy, it's in the tube within 10 days. 3 days on hangers in the closed closet. De-stem and into jars for 7 days and slow dry the remaining moister with burpung the jars. At that point, they go into the tube OR into the chest freezer to wait until I can get to them. If I take more than 3-4 weeks getting them into the freezer or they stay in the freezer for say 6 months, (who, me? LOL) the color turns darker and the BHO becomes less like honey at room temp and more shattery. Personally, I don't grow for flowers to smoke anymore, so long curing times work against me. Except for what I inhale through my S&B Plenty dry herb vape, that other 5%. So when I leave something on the shelf in the closet for ummm .....2 months in the jar o_O, it's dry sift and vape material. :giggle: I haven't "smoked" in almost 2 decades.

Ever tried 'fresh cut' vaping? Yes, it works. As you would expect, it taste somewhat green for the first few inhales, but if you want the densest, freshest flavors of your flowers terps, IMHO, vaping some fresh flower can be a pleasant and very tasty experiance!
 
I did a side by side cure with the normal 2.5 gal glass jar with boveda and a groove bag.

I'm using both side by side now.

I prefer the jar. I know I am somewhat alone here and that groove has taken the cure market by storm. My issue is that the stuff in the bag is too dry. Crumbly dry. I left the groove bag in my admittedly dry basement for a month and a half unopened.

I think it may have worked better with a higher RH in the basement, but with glass I don't care what time of year or what the RH is to cure properly. I'm going back to jars personally.
 
I did a side by side cure with the normal 2.5 gal glass jar with boveda and a groove bag.

I'm using both side by side now.

I prefer the jar. I know I am somewhat alone here and that groove has taken the cure market by storm. My issue is that the stuff in the bag is too dry. Crumbly dry. I left the groove bag in my admittedly dry basement for a month and a half unopened.

I think it may have worked better with a higher RH in the basement, but with glass I don't care what time of year or what the RH is to cure properly. I'm going back to jars personally.
Not alone I like glass better as well - thanks for the bag though !
 
:geek: Cute, and I couldn't agree more (y)

add to that, at least IMHO, what are you growing it for? In my case, 95+% of what I grow goes into a tube and BHO comes out. If I want honey oil color and consistancy, it's in the tube within 10 days. 3 days on hangers in the closed closet. De-stem and into jars for 7 days and slow dry the remaining moister with burpung the jars. At that point, they go into the tube OR into the chest freezer to wait until I can get to them. If I take more than 3-4 weeks getting them into the freezer or they stay in the freezer for say 6 months, (who, me? LOL) the color turns darker and the BHO becomes less like honey at room temp and more shattery. Personally, I don't grow for flowers to smoke anymore, so long curing times work against me. Except for what I inhale through my S&B Plenty dry herb vape, that other 5%. So when I leave something on the shelf in the closet for ummm .....2 months in the jar o_O, it's dry sift and vape material. :giggle: I haven't "smoked" in almost 2 decades.

Ever tried 'fresh cut' vaping? Yes, it works. As you would expect, it taste somewhat green for the first few inhales, but if you want the densest, freshest flavors of your flowers terps, IMHO, vaping some fresh flower can be a pleasant and very tasty experiance!

I smoke flowers and rosin these days. Used to do BHO but since rosin came along I'm all about solventless extraction.
I added a freeze dry technique to my rosin routine for a live resin type of extraction. Very solid results with a dewaxed blonde crumble

IMG_4214.JPG

That's about as fresh I'll go but I'll squish flowers into rosin anywhere from when it's dry and ready to cure to months after harvest.
Be it Grove or Boveda, I've never had an issue with getting too dry so I'm not sure why aging dries out weed for so many. Like for the buds above, there's no way I could dry sift them right now since they're like dry sponge. I'd have to let them sit out and get brittle before I rubbed or tumbled them. Even if I put them in a grinder they'll gum up the grinder with too much sticky residue so I have to hand grind.
I quit burping a long time ago when I was into another type of container using a dialed in dry, Boveda packs, and vacuum sealing. That was a pretty good cure but tedious compared to just dropping the buds in a bag.
The only real major difference for me extracting cured compared to fresh is the terp profiles. Fresh tends to be pungent and hashy while cured tends to be floral or fruity incense but potency of the high between the two is not much of a difference.
The flower smoke is similar in terp profile difference but the high from the cure is much heavier, longer lasting, and I can usually only get thru half a joint before I'm too baked to continue but can smoke a whole joint of fresh dried weed ez.


I did a side by side cure with the normal 2.5 gal glass jar with boveda and a groove bag.

I'm using both side by side now.

I prefer the jar. I know I am somewhat alone here and that groove has taken the cure market by storm. My issue is that the stuff in the bag is too dry. Crumbly dry. I left the groove bag in my admittedly dry basement for a month and a half unopened.

I think it may have worked better with a higher RH in the basement, but with glass I don't care what time of year or what the RH is to cure properly. I'm going back to jars personally.

They don't need to be heat sealed but they do need to be closed up tight with minimal head space and dead air in the bag.
I tend to stuff mine, zip up to almost closed, press a little to push air out, then zip up all the way and don't open for at least 3 weeks. A small tester bag is a nice option for peek a boo while waiting and it will tell you what's going on with the other bags too.
I think what I like most about Grove or Boveda is their ability to correct the dryness. It's better to overdry a little then let the bag or pack work to bring it up slowly IME. There's been many times where I cure buds that are very brittle and fragile going in but after at least 3 weeks in locked up RH control they have that nice slow burn and dry sponge texture where you squeeze and they give a little but will not crumble apart.

I'm also fairly certain my cure fridge plays a huge roll working with the gas exchange of RH controllers. It maintains a 63% RH so for these bags to exchange gas at 55%-62%, the RH of the fridge is as close to ideal as it gets and the bags don't have to work too hard on the adjustment.

IMG_3275.JPG
 
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I smoke flowers and rosin these days. Used to do BHO but since rosin came along I'm all about solventless extraction.
I added a freeze dry technique to my rosin routine for a live resin type of extraction. Very solid results with a dewaxed blonde crumble
That rosin look DELISIOUS!
Wanna try teachin an old dog new tricks???
IMG_20230427_101237.jpg
 
Nice press! Squishin' is an art unto itself as well. Lots and lots of variables and results 😋
Exactly, or should that be extractly...LOL! I get a very dabbable concentrate, but it leaves more black residue in my enail skillet than I care for and it always squish's out a dark color.
Dewaxing I'm sure would help, if I had a clue how to dewax rosin???
 
I smoke flowers and rosin these days. Used to do BHO but since rosin came along I'm all about solventless extraction.
I added a freeze dry technique to my rosin routine for a live resin type of extraction. Very solid results with a dewaxed blonde crumble

View attachment 1464

That's about as fresh I'll go but I'll squish flowers into rosin anywhere from when it's dry and ready to cure to months after harvest.
Be it Grove or Boveda, I've never had an issue with getting too dry so I'm not sure why aging dries out weed for so many. Like for the buds above, there's no way I could dry sift them right now since they're like dry sponge. I'd have to let them sit out and get brittle before I rubbed or tumbled them. Even if I put them in a grinder they'll gum up the grinder with too much sticky residue so I have to hand grind.
I quit burping a long time ago when I was into another type of container using a dialed in dry, Boveda packs, and vacuum sealing. That was a pretty good cure but tedious compared to just dropping the buds in a bag.
The only real major difference for me extracting cured compared to fresh is the terp profiles. Fresh tends to be pungent and hashy while cured tends to be floral or fruity incense but potency of the high between the two is not much of a difference.
The flower smoke is similar in terp profile difference but the high from the cure is much heavier, longer lasting, and I can usually only get thru half a joint before I'm too baked to continue but can smoke a whole joint of fresh dried weed ez.




They don't need to be heat sealed but they do need to be closed up tight with minimal head space and dead air in the bag.
I tend to stuff mine, zip up to almost closed, press a little to push air out, then zip up all the way and don't open for at least 3 weeks. A small tester bag is a nice option for peek a boo while waiting and it will tell you what's going on with the other bags too.
I think what I like most about Grove or Boveda is their ability to correct the dryness. It's better to overdry a little then let the bag or pack work to bring it up slowly IME. There's been many times where I cure buds that are very brittle and fragile going in but after at least 3 weeks in locked up RH control they have that nice slow burn and dry sponge texture where you squeeze and they give a little but will not crumble apart.

I'm also fairly certain my cure fridge plays a huge roll working with the gas exchange of RH controllers. It maintains a 63% RH so for these bags to exchange gas at 55%-62%, the RH of the fridge is as close to ideal as it gets and the bags don't have to work too hard on the adjustment.

View attachment 1468
I'm traditionally an extract guy too. I have made about all of it. I've got a rotovap a short path a chromatography column a vacuum oven even a freeze drier. I also have a press. Just imagine an entire lab.

I personally don't consume any of it. That shit is just too potent for me. I get goofy and forgetful when I use too much. I don't know how you guys do it honestly.

I really like to smoke the first hit of fresh stuff in a water pipe, then throw it out. So one hit. Then I'll come back with hit #2, #3 depending on what I am doing. Each time a green hit with a low butane non-torch. Best flavor you can offer up of your harvest IMO. Maybe 3 different kinds for each hit. But that's good for me for a whole night.

Thinking of using an extract at the levels you guys do scares the crap out of me!!
 
Exactly, or should that be extractly...LOL! I get a very dabbable concentrate, but it leaves more black residue in my enail skillet than I care for and it always squish's out a dark color.
Dewaxing I'm sure would help, if I had a clue how to dewax rosin???
When squishing flowers it's damn near impossible to get full melt so that black goo is a constant. You can get close, very close really, and that's where I'm at looking to get as blonde as possible. It's still not full melt but it is around 90%.
Squishing kief can get it cleaner but there again there's another form of art. If the kief is separated by electrostatic sifting it should be full melt. But just screen sifting even with a tight micron screen or bubble bags can still be corrupted by plant material which means wax and that means residual goo. It needs that electrostatic sift to finish the sifting.

You can dewax by winterizing the same way you would dewax BHO. I haven't done that in years though but yeah a soak in iso and freeze then filter it thru and you get shatter.

Color usually has a lot to do with temp settings. High temps above 200 can turn dark. I work at around 185 and get light color, sometimes even transparent, but I'll get dark runs too at that temp depending on the material loaded. Cola bud will usually give me the best color but stuff like larf and trim can get dark even at 185. Moisture will also play a role so if the bud is moist, that will draw out the waxes but if it's let to go over dry and brittle, a 90 micron bag and lower temp can result in a beautiful extraction
 
I'm traditionally an extract guy too. I have made about all of it. I've got a rotovap a short path a chromatography column a vacuum oven even a freeze drier. I also have a press. Just imagine an entire lab.

I personally don't consume any of it. That shit is just too potent for me. I get goofy and forgetful when I use too much. I don't know how you guys do it honestly.

I really like to smoke the first hit of fresh stuff in a water pipe, then throw it out. So one hit. Then I'll come back with hit #2, #3 depending on what I am doing. Each time a green hit with a low butane non-torch. Best flavor you can offer up of your harvest IMO. Maybe 3 different kinds for each hit. But that's good for me for a whole night.

Thinking of using an extract at the levels you guys do scares the crap out of me!!

I'm a big feller with a high tolerance and long time smoker. I'll put away some wax! My wife can take a hit or two of my rosin and backs off while I can go thru a gram in a single day
 
I did a side by side cure with the normal 2.5 gal glass jar with boveda and a groove bag.

I'm using both side by side now.

I prefer the jar. I know I am somewhat alone here and that groove has taken the cure market by storm. My issue is that the stuff in the bag is too dry. Crumbly dry. I left the groove bag in my admittedly dry basement for a month and a half unopened.

I think it may have worked better with a higher RH in the basement, but with glass I don't care what time of year or what the RH is to cure properly. I'm going back to jars personally.
Did you seal the grove bag?
 
I honestly think I smoke all my herb before it’s cured lol. Well the last of the jar usually taste awesome. I need to grow trees to keep up.
Trees, exactly especially in states or provinces where the limit is 4

I cure in cvaults don't use boveda because I've never needed it
 
Did you seal the grove bag?
I did not. Honestly that concept bothers me.

So I have a large bag that when air is trapped in it and zipped shut it holds air like a pillow. With force on the outside of the bag if it leaks it’s imperceptible.

And the bag itself is permeable. Essentially designed to leak.

Unless the zip lock is damaged or has debris in it I see no point in sealing as well. This is my gut here, but that feel like an answer to sell more bags first, and second as an excuse why you are doing it wrong.

If it was really necessary they should have put 2 ziplocks on the bag, or made them single use with an integrated glue seal like on a fedex box or similar.

I got a bunch more bags and I might try again including sealing but I still think that contents of the bag will reach an RH equilibrium with the space it is stored in. That is not how I want to cure personally. I want the rh in the cure zone to be set by me not the environment.

I could be wrong and it might work if you do this and that and hold your mouth just right. That’s not what I am looking for in a product so vital to quality of the finished product.

I was talking about doing a 2 year test on cannabinoid and terpene degradation but honestly I’ve pulled the weed out of the bags and put into jars and trying to bring the moisture back up, as far as I am concerned this is a fail after 1.5 months let alone 2 years.

Other than brittle buds the rest seems fine.
 
Practice practice practice and yep art form for sure every strain is different
Only once did I ever get something close to the color on the right. That was the very first press I did on my Dulytek. It was a 'cold' press, 160*F for about 2 hours. I was working in a BHO lab at the time, whipping shatter that was starting to chudder (recrystalize) into budder and we tried to never go over 170*F. So I'm thinking if shatter fully melts at around 150*F to whip into budder or crumble, why not squish a flower at 160*? Now, what comes out when I try to repeat that is the same color as your stash on the left. Tasty, but not as visually appealing.


When squishing flowers it's damn near impossible to get full melt so that black goo is a constant. You can get close, very close really, and that's where I'm at looking to get as blonde as possible. It's still not full melt but it is around 90%.
Squishing kief can get it cleaner but there again there's another form of art. If the kief is separated by electrostatic sifting it should be full melt. But just screen sifting even with a tight micron screen or bubble bags can still be corrupted by plant material which means wax and that means residual goo. It needs that electrostatic sift to finish the sifting.
Now dry sift is something I also enjoy, but as Bandit says, it need to be cleaned with electrostatic sifting. I've played with the DVD method and without success.
Anyone have a small, simple electrostatic seperator for a personal home growers dry sift? Preferablly mechanical over manual! (y)
I purchased a small pollen tumbler a while back and must admit I've enjoyed making dry sift and flower sandwiches in my Plenty. Super tasty and potent!!!

I tried bubble hash as well. Took 100gr of flower and after about 2 hours for 6 differant washings and water all over the garage, LOL!, wound up with some 4-5gr total of 6 grades of hash, only about 2 grams of anything close to full melt. Same 100gr of flower in my tube was producing around 20gr. Yes, I can easily grow enough for myself when I get a 20% concentrate return, but 3-4%? I've appearently got ALOT to learn about making hash in a washing machine. ;)
 
Only once did I ever get something close to the color on the right. That was the very first press I did on my Dulytek. It was a 'cold' press, 160*F for about 2 hours. I was working in a BHO lab at the time, whipping shatter that was starting to chudder (recrystalize) into budder and we tried to never go over 170*F. So I'm thinking if shatter fully melts at around 150*F to whip into budder or crumble, why not squish a flower at 160*? Now, what comes out when I try to repeat that is the same color as your stash on the left. Tasty, but not as visually appealing.



Now dry sift is something I also enjoy, but as Bandit says, it need to be cleaned with electrostatic sifting. I've played with the DVD method and without success.
Anyone have a small, simple electrostatic seperator for a personal home growers dry sift? Preferablly mechanical over manual! (y)
I purchased a small pollen tumbler a while back and must admit I've enjoyed making dry sift and flower sandwiches in my Plenty. Super tasty and potent!!!

I tried bubble hash as well. Took 100gr of flower and after about 2 hours for 6 differant washings and water all over the garage, LOL!, wound up with some 4-5gr total of 6 grades of hash, only about 2 grams of anything close to full melt. Same 100gr of flower in my tube was producing around 20gr. Yes, I can easily grow enough for myself when I get a 20% concentrate return, but 3-4%? I've appearently got ALOT to learn about making hash in a washing machine. ;)
Try a latex glove ? Much the same as the cd case only much faster and better- tsd has got it! https://budbuilders.org/threads/who-likes-concentrates.51/page-3#post-2851
 
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Only once did I ever get something close to the color on the right. That was the very first press I did on my Dulytek. It was a 'cold' press, 160*F for about 2 hours. I was working in a BHO lab at the time, whipping shatter that was starting to chudder (recrystalize) into budder and we tried to never go over 170*F. So I'm thinking if shatter fully melts at around 150*F to whip into budder or crumble, why not squish a flower at 160*? Now, what comes out when I try to repeat that is the same color as your stash on the left. Tasty, but not as visually appealing.



Now dry sift is something I also enjoy, but as Bandit says, it need to be cleaned with electrostatic sifting. I've played with the DVD method and without success.
Anyone have a small, simple electrostatic seperator for a personal home growers dry sift? Preferablly mechanical over manual! (y)
I purchased a small pollen tumbler a while back and must admit I've enjoyed making dry sift and flower sandwiches in my Plenty. Super tasty and potent!!!

I tried bubble hash as well. Took 100gr of flower and after about 2 hours for 6 differant washings and water all over the garage, LOL!, wound up with some 4-5gr total of 6 grades of hash, only about 2 grams of anything close to full melt. Same 100gr of flower in my tube was producing around 20gr. Yes, I can easily grow enough for myself when I get a 20% concentrate return, but 3-4%? I've appearently got ALOT to learn about making hash in a washing machine. ;)
Another art form ! Lol - after I sift I take the leftover weed and press at 190/200 not. As tasty but still good - then I take all the used pucks and wash them in everclear . - I’m curious the return I get now ? Lol
 
Try a latex glove ? Much the same as the cd case only much faster and better
I've watched those videos. My first question about static tech is what sort of work survace can be used. I see it always done on a 25m nylon screen. If I use a 160m tumbler for the initial seperation, and spred that out on my glass worktop, ..... I don't have any success. I'm guessing it has to do with the glass, but then I'll try to get static tech while the sift is on a 90m nylon screen and still can't get the DVD or paint roller to work. I've got some latex gloves around here somewhere, so perhaps I'll break up some buds and trry again. But does the work surface matter? Does it need to be conductive? And how about RH? Isn't the lower the better for static tech?
 
I've watched those videos. My first question about static tech is what sort of work survace can be used. I see it always done on a 25m nylon screen. If I use a 160m tumbler for the initial seperation, and spred that out on my glass worktop, ..... I don't have any success. I'm guessing it has to do with the glass, but then I'll try to get static tech while the sift is on a 90m nylon screen and still can't get the DVD or paint roller to work. I've got some latex gloves around here somewhere, so perhaps I'll break up some buds and trry again. But does the work surface matter? Does it need to be conductive? And how about RH? Isn't the lower the better for static tech?
Actually never reall considered the surface I always do it right in the screen ? So great question ima find out - rh def lower is better imo colder is also better in my opinion
 
This is an are where I fuckin struggle. I finally got myself a portable AC and have dedicated a spare room to drying. Much to the dismay of my girl, but it’s only for a few weeks at a time. Right now I have a couple plants drying going on 10 days which is great for me, and the longest I’ve been able to go. They’re still not ready yet.

So stuffing the Grove bags to the top almost is something I’ve heard before. I’ll try that this time too. I left a gap previously. And a mini fridge or wine cooler is also a great idea that I’ve been curious about. Looks like I know what’s going on my wish list. I can fit a mini fridge in my garage.
 
I picked up a Cannatrol and it works pretty good 4 day dry 4 day cure or set it what you prefer. I have run two plants thru it when done humidity was 61 percent can leave it cannatrol for long term storage or jar it up. Only work with these are dumping small drip tray twice a day during dry cycle.
 

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I did not. Honestly that concept bothers me.

So I have a large bag that when air is trapped in it and zipped shut it holds air like a pillow. With force on the outside of the bag if it leaks it’s imperceptible.

And the bag itself is permeable. Essentially designed to leak.

Unless the zip lock is damaged or has debris in it I see no point in sealing as well. This is my gut here, but that feel like an answer to sell more bags first, and second as an excuse why you are doing it wrong.

If it was really necessary they should have put 2 ziplocks on the bag, or made them single use with an integrated glue seal like on a fedex box or similar.

I got a bunch more bags and I might try again including sealing but I still think that contents of the bag will reach an RH equilibrium with the space it is stored in. That is not how I want to cure personally. I want the rh in the cure zone to be set by me not the environment.

I could be wrong and it might work if you do this and that and hold your mouth just right. That’s not what I am looking for in a product so vital to quality of the finished product.

I was talking about doing a 2 year test on cannabinoid and terpene degradation but honestly I’ve pulled the weed out of the bags and put into jars and trying to bring the moisture back up, as far as I am concerned this is a fail after 1.5 months let alone 2 years.

Other than brittle buds the rest seems fine.
Yea I still don't get the science. But I'll tell you my results tomorrow I've got half my bags sealed and half . it's been 2 months for me. I sealed with an RH of 55%. and started the cure on my open bags at 60%.
 
Well I checked my bags today Moe.. and theyre all stable and theyve been in a room with 40% RH and around 65 degrees. All stable at 55-60%. Even the non-sealed ones oddly.
Can't explain that. I sent one to @Moshmen and he didn't prefer it either I don't believe.

Welcome to the dark side. @2Bad, this is everyone. Everyone, this is 2Bad. He tried to post on 2 sites. Now he just has one. We all know the drill.
 
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