Science of Drying and Curing - Allison Justice, PhD

[Vee]

The GOTOO vid on drying and curing...almost famous now it will be ...its on Chuckers ..lol

Jun 16, 2022
(47.5m): drying, curing, water activity, humidity, terpenes, cultivation, cannabis Allison Justice, PhD presents "The Science of Drying and Curing" at CannMed 2022. Drying and curing is an extremely important step to smokable flower production. In this session, the science of drying and curing will be discussed. Traditional methods and current research covering everything from gas exchange to water activity will be discussed.


is boring as hell, so rollup a xames doobie, and take notes ...lol
I'm happy as she's recommending my 6-6-6, for years I thought I was under performing,

(2hrs)Reward yourself with one of the best westerns ever full/free

Merry Christmas

 

[H.A.F.]

The GOTOO vid on drying and curing...almost famous now it will be ...its on Chuckers ..lol

One thing that amazes me is that early on around the 3:30 mark she says that we don't know why curing makes it smoke better.

I turned off the video at that point. If she doesn't understand that part then the rest of what she says might as well be based on something she read somewhere.

Curing is the re-distribution of moisture. Period.

We don't dry weed like basil and throw dessicant packs in to remove all moisture. We stoners know that having the weed at a moisture level of 58%-62% makes it perfectly smokable and retains the best terps, cannabinoids, esters, thiols, flavinoids, whatever.

We know that a well dried plant will weigh about 20%-25% of whatever it's weight was at harvest. This is when it 'equalizes' and retains a constant weight if it is in a ~60%rH environment. This takes about a week.

After the plant is technically dry by weight it is not cured. The stem and inner parts of the bud will have more moisture than the pistils and sugar leaves that are poking out and crispy dry.

Some buck and jar at this point then use rH packs to maintain a constant humidity in the container, or just burp them regularly to release any off-gassed CO2 or moisture. If you can leave it hanging in that good environment for the next week or two it's better.

Anyway - when the moisture level is even at that ~60% level throughout the bud it is gonna provide the best, white-ash smoke. (black ash is from moisture and a poor dry/cure, not from flushing).

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

The GOTOO vid on drying and curing...almost famous now it will be ...its on Chuckers ..lol

Jun 16, 2022
(47.5m): drying, curing, water activity, humidity, terpenes, cultivation, cannabis Allison Justice, PhD presents "The Science of Drying and Curing" at CannMed 2022. Drying and curing is an extremely important step to smokable flower production. In this session, the science of drying and curing will be discussed. Traditional methods and current research covering everything from gas exchange to water activity will be discussed.


is boring as hell, so rollup a xames doobie, and take notes ...lol
I'm happy as she's recommending my 6-6-6, for years I thought I was under performing,

(2hrs)Reward yourself with one of the best westerns ever full/free

Merry Christmas

Mag 7 is great movie!

 

[Old ST1R]

Curing is the re-distribution of moisture. Period.

There’s more to it than that.

During the curing process there are sugars, starches and chlorophyll, etc. that are converted by enzymes present in the plant.

If the sugars etc. aren’t properly converted (curing), then the smoke will taste “green” and most likely be harsh.

 

[H.A.F.]

There’s more to it than that.

During the curing process there are sugars, starches and chlorophyll, etc. that are converted by enzymes present in the plant.

If the sugars etc. aren’t properly converted (curing), then the smoke will taste “green” and most likely be harsh.

If you break it down though, all those processes are happening in the presence of moisture. As the moisture levels out those processes slow but they never stop unless we freeze dry or something. I consider that more of the continual degradation of the weed, that goes on well after it's cured enough to smoke.

 

[H.A.F.]

@Old ST1R I just noticed you just posted that and I replied within a heartbeat. Us old people sure get up early

 

[treefarmercharlie]

If you break it down though, all those processes are happening in the presence of moisture. As the moisture levels out those processes slow but they never stop unless we freeze dry or something. I consider that more of the continual degradation of the weed, that goes on well after it's cured enough to smoke.

It slows way down when you stop burping because it will eventually be depleted of oxygen. This is why I always explain to people that the burping part of the curing process isn’t done just for moisture control and why it still needs to be done when RH packs are used during curing. I’ve started putting oxygen absorber packs in my jars to see if they make a difference in jars that have been closed up for over a year.

 

[H.A.F.]

It slows way down when you stop burping because it will eventually be depleted of oxygen.

That is when anaerobic ferentation begins and mold starts if the moisture wasn't previously 'fixed' at the right level in the flower, consistently.

I have shifted to the breathable rH control bags for storage after the initial cure, and I put them in a sealed box that has the rH packs in it. So the packs aren't in container with the flower.

I think the rH packs have their place, but it's more to maintain an environment rather than assist in curing.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

I think the rH packs have their place, but it's more to maintain an environment rather than assist in curing.

I agree

 

[Old ST1R]

If you break it down though, all those processes are happening in the presence of moisture. As the moisture levels out those processes slow but they never stop unless we freeze dry or something. I consider that more of the continual degradation of the weed, that goes on well after it's cured enough to smoke.

Maybe they do or don’t happen in the presence of moisture. The point is that there is more to curing than just the redistribution moisture.

 

[H.A.F.]

Maybe they do or don’t happen in the presence of moisture. The point is that there is more to curing than just the redistribution moisture.

I misspoke. Lots of stuff happens as it cures, but my OPINION based on experience and reading and learning is that it it the major process that all the others are centered around. It's why it is crucial to maintain humidity at a certain level. Temp is important too, but colder can be better to a point so it's not an absolute like the humidity.