Drying with lights in to manage humidity?

[treefarmercharlie]

I’m hoping today will be the last day I have to do this but I’m looking for your opinions. It’s been cool and humid here, so my AC isn’t doing squat to keep the humidity down while I dry, and I don’t have a dehumidifier. The tent has been at around 63° but the humidity has been hitting 70%. I have the lights lowered almost to the floor, and I noticed that if I turn on the lights @ 50% power that the temp raises to about 65° - 68° and the RH drops to 58% - 62%. My thought is that the small amount of indirect light being reflected on the drying plants should be less of a problem than the humidity staying consistently too high. Would you guys agree? Im not noticing any grassy smell and the drying process seems to be going normal based on feel and smell. Here’s a picture that shows how little light is being reflected. I flipped the floor tray upside down the reduce the reflection a lot, too.

 

[Streetpro09]

Lights on temp and humidity sound great. Only possible problem i could see would be the degradation of thc and other compounds due to exposure to light. How fast it happens i have no clue. I never seen a study documenting it. If i was you i think I'd finish drying them like that and see what happens. Just let us know if you think it affected the end product.

 

[Fiddler's Green]

What is the humidity outside of the tent? Maybe opening up another vent at the bottom if it's drier outside.


I dry in a shed that I leave open (enough light to see inside unaided) with just a oscillating fan blowing just below them and have been curious if the light has any effect on the finished product. I'm in there multiple times a day to check for anything since they are subject to the outside temperature and humidity. Good luck with a solution

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Thanks for the feedback guys. The humidity outside the tent is right around 60%. One of the reasons I didn’t want to open the tent up was so the airflow would continue to flow in from the bottom of the tent and out the top. If I open the tent then that circulation will get bypassed.

 

[Zaphod420]

I would think that the small amount of terps/thc degradation that might occur due to indirect light exposure is certainly worth the trade off to keep RH in the high 50's and not 60's -70's where bad things can happen. I swear I am highly considering trying to make a curing box out of an old fridge with a inkbird temp controller and nice net pot full of rock salt in the bottom to suck up all the humidity. A bad cure fucking SUCKS!
Let us know how it turns out TFC.

 

[Streetpro09]

I would think that the small amount of terps/thc degradation that might occur due to indirect light exposure is certainly worth the trade off to keep RH in the high 50's and not 60's -70's where bad things can happen. I swear I am highly considering trying to make a curing box out of an old fridge with a inkbird temp controller and nice net pot full of rock salt in the bottom to suck up all the humidity. A bad cure fucking SUCKS!
Let us know how it turns out TFC.

You'll be like @H.A.F. at that point with his wardrobe drying cabinet. I think ac infinity makes a nice fan board that has an integrated temp/humidity controller that he's using.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

I would think that the small amount of terps/thc degradation that might occur due to indirect light exposure is certainly worth the trade off to keep RH in the high 50's and not 60's -70's where bad things can happen.

That was my thinking, too. I would’ve been more concerned if I opened the tent this morning, and it smelled like someone just mowed the lawn, but it smells like it should right now. This time of the year, and early fall, are always the hardest times of the year for me to deal with humidity. It’s only an issue, though, when my harvests happen to come at the same time so I haven’t bothered to get a dehumidifier. As long as the outside temps are up then the AC keeps the humidity in line.

 

[H.A.F.]

I think ac infinity makes a nice fan board that has an integrated temp/humidity controller that he's using.

I'm low tech. They may have what you are talking about but I don't. I have a remote sensor in there to monitor temp/rH but I don't have anything to control it.

Top center is this one - a cabinet fan for electronics. Max cfm is about 100, but on low it's about 25. Barely moving ait out of the top of the closet, but there's limited intake so it's basically keeping the smell from leaking out the doors. I have a piece of duct mounted behind the thing reduced to a 4" hose - then a carbon flter. That one is on low constantly. If the rH gets too high I can bump it up.

Amazon.com: AC Infinity AIRPLATE S7, Quiet Cooling Fan System 12" with Speed Control, for Home Theater AV Cabinets: Home Improvement

Hanging on that center board is more of an air mover. 40-110 cfm with a rheostat. That one comes on when I first hang plants, and they are moist. It goes off after a few days once the rH settles around 60% - turned it off this morning. Once they are three to four days in I may shut off the exhaust depending on the rH.

Amazon.com: AC Infinity AXIAL S1238, 120mm Muffin Fan with Speed Controller, UL-Certified for Doorway, Room to Room, Wood Stove, Fireplace, Circulation Projects: Computers & Accessories

 

[H.A.F.]

simple answer is that lights degrade THC - and probably any of the more volatile terpenes and like the gassy ones. Once they are harvested, the buds should only see light in transition from here to there, when being trimmed, or when being ground up.

 

[Streetpro09]

I'm low tech. They may have what you are talking about but I don't. I have a remote sensor in there to monitor temp/rH but I don't have anything to control it.
View attachment 93859
Top center is this one - a cabinet fan for electronics. Max cfm is about 100, but on low it's about 25. Barely moving ait out of the top of the closet, but there's limited intake so it's basically keeping the smell from leaking out the doors. I have a piece of duct mounted behind the thing reduced to a 4" hose - then a carbon flter. That one is on low constantly. If the rH gets too high I can bump it up.

Amazon.com: AC Infinity AIRPLATE S7, Quiet Cooling Fan System 12" with Speed Control, for Home Theater AV Cabinets: Home Improvement

Hanging on that center board is more of an air mover. 40-110 cfm with a rheostat. That one comes on when I first hang plants, and they are moist. It goes off after a few days once the rH settles around 60% - turned it off this morning. Once they are three to four days in I may shut off the exhaust depending on the rH.
View attachment 93861
Amazon.com: AC Infinity AXIAL S1238, 120mm Muffin Fan with Speed Controller, UL-Certified for Doorway, Room to Room, Wood Stove, Fireplace, Circulation Projects: Computers & Accessories

I was thinking for some reason those fans did humidity too. Looks like you should contact ac infinity and tell them there could be a market for them. Show them your wardrobe, they have the tech already developed so....


On another note: looks like you have the same weather station as me. I need to get a few more remote sensors, if they are still available, I've added a few more places to monitor since i got it a few years ago.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

simple answer is that lights degrade THC - and probably any of the more volatile terpenes and like the gassy ones. Once they are harvested, the buds should only see light in transition from here to there, when being trimmed, or when being ground up.

Yeah, it’s all about weighing some indirect light for a week vs high humidity for the same amount of time.

 

[JohnFonda]

Yeah, it’s all about weighing some indirect light for a week vs high humidity for the same amount of time.

Do yourself a favor and just buy a dehumidifier. Losing a harvest is not justifiable for the cost and ease of use. Believe me I coulda bought one thrown it away after and still been happy. Not just for drying you dont want to be growing dense nugs at 70%. Lowes has the best warranty in most areas.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Do yourself a favor and just buy a dehumidifier. Losing a harvest is not justifiable for the cost and ease of use. Believe me I coulda bought one thrown it away after and still been happy. Not just for drying you dont want to be growing dense nugs at 70%. Lowes has the best warranty in most areas.

I plan on getting one eventually, I just keep putting it off due to the cost and having to put one more decent sized thing in that room.

 

[F series]

High air flow is all you need. You can dry in that environment, obviously it'll take awhile, but isn't slow the best way, anyways?

 

[JohnFonda]

High air flow is all you need. You can dry in that environment, obviously it'll take awhile, but isn't slow the best way, anyways?

Cant dry something to 60 percent when the air is at 70% . Slower is better but you have to have control. I threw away around a p and a half due to mold before. Rainstorms the weekend I cut and went away. 300 dollar dehunifuer would have saved that. To each his own I just know my weed is worth more than 300 a p.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Cant dry something to 60 percent when the air is at 70% . Slower is better but you have to have control. I threw away around a p and a half due to mold before. Rainstorms the weekend I cut and went away. 300 dollar dehunifuer would have saved that. To each his own I just know my weed is worth more than 300 a p.

That is my dilemma, I’m traveling for work this week. I was able to keep the lights off from about 4pm on yesterday, but the RH was back up to around 70% this morning. I asked my wife to keep an eye on the RH and to just turn the lights back in if it’s still above 70% tonight.

 

[Zaphod420]

I plan on getting one eventually, I just keep putting it off due to the cost and having to put one more decent sized thing in that room.

I will never not have a dhue again as they make all kinds of dumb shit just VANISH. Just know that they give off a good amount of heat so make sure you choose a place(if possible) where the back of the thing is by a fan in a really good ventilated space. This is the dhue I run, and it keeps my RH around 42-58% and runs pretty quietly and is energy star rated. It is a rock solid workhorse

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNZFRC8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[H.A.F.]

I will never not have a dhue again as they make all kinds of dumb shit just VANISH. Just know that they give off a good amount of heat so make sure you choose a place(if possible) where the back of the thing is by a fan in a really good ventilated space. This is the dhue I run, and it keeps my RH around 42-58% and runs pretty quietly and is energy star rated. It is a rock solid workhorse
View attachment 93931

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNZFRC8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For the room that your drying area is in maybe, but not for in your drying area.

 

[hhibrownsbacker]

I would get a portable dehumidifier as already mentioned. But in the mean time, it seems like you can get it real close with the humidity you have but just cant get it down that last few %. Id try old school paper bags, granted they will absorb the humidity in the room BUT it will also suck it out of the herb. You might have to change up your bags often but 1 hour in a bag and then 12 in a jar a few times is gonna drop it down and give you protection from UV since the bags will protect from the light..

 

[hhibrownsbacker]

I dont know if you have central air or a a/c unit in the room. BUT if you have central air, I once partially shut all the vents that was anywhere near the thermostat. That allowed the thermostat to be deceived and it worked harder and allowed more air to get forced into the grow room. That extra air allowed my AC to drop my humidity while still leaving the rest of the house habitable.