Harvest & Curing Am I curing correctly?

[LearningMore]

First successful grow is finally in jars. As with ALL ASPECTS of growing, I’ve already learned a ton by trying my first dry/cure. I do not have the manual strength/dexterity for a hand-trim, so I bought a trim bowl (don’t shoot me!). I do a wet trim of fan leaves and break up the large buds. Everything gets spun in the trim bowl, then put on mesh racks in a dedicated 2x4 dry tent with infinity T6 running on level 2. Ambient RH 58-60. Ambient temps 78ish. The first plant I dried, I had a small fan within the tent but not pointing at the buds, but they dried out FAST, so I turned that off and only have the infinity moving air. I jar the buds at 48 hours. This generally puts the jarred RH at 60-65%. I monitor closely, as some have required extra time out of the jars (into mesh bag) if they creep into high 60’s to 70s RH, but not beyond the first day or two. I’ve had one batch that got into the upper 50s - wet cotton ball under the lid and they were within 60-65 in 24 hrs Thereafter I burp twice a day (open for an hour or so early, shorter in pm) by removing the hygrometer and shaking the buds round in the jar. Once RH has stabilized, I add an 8g 62% Boveda pack to each jar, and switch to burping daily (removing hygrometer and boveda each burp session and shaking buds around). If every thing stays stable for a week or so thereafter, I remove the hygrometer and leave Boveda.

Questions:
1. I know the dry is quick, but as long as I stay in the parameters (aka not getting too dry), should the taste/terps be ok? First vapes have been pretty damn harsh, but I expected that pre-cure.
2. What is the minimum time I need to leave the jars open when burping? My bovedas are drying out quickly, so I wondered if all the burping is excessive in duration.
3. At what point in the cure should things be “right”? Kind of the minimum cure to really get the flavors/terps? I’m wondering when it is fair to assess a strain (example: sour stomper‘s stank is kicking my ass…but I know it needs time to cure before I give it my final review. Good buzz, though).
4. Grove bags: I have read the main thread; initially I planned to stick with “tried and true”, but I see so many experienced folks switching over. If I tried them, am I understanding correctly that, once dried and I’m confident the RH has stabilized, I just put the bud and a Boveda in a bag and I’m done? No more burping?

THANKS EVERYONE

 

[CannabisMingus]

I have had better cures with shorter burps. Unless I get >70% RH readings, I generally burb twice a day for the first 3 days for about 3 minutes and then once a day after that for 2-3 weeks. Unless your RH is high, I don't see how extended burbs help. The idea is to replace the volume of air in the jar (which happens fairly quickly) so that the aerobic bacteria breaking down the chlorophyll don't die of O2 depletion. I would think extended burps may also drive terpene reduction but that's a wild guess. HTH, IMHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[LearningMore]

I have had better cures with shorter burps. Unless I get >70% RH readings, I generally burb twice a day for the first 3 days for about 3 minutes and then once a day after that for 2-3 weeks. Unless your RH is high, I don't see how extended burbs help. The idea is to replace the volume of air in the jar (which happens fairly quickly) so that the aerobic bacteria breaking down the chlorophyll don't die of O2 depletion. I would think extended burps may also drive terpene reduction but that's a wild guess. HTH, IMHO, YMMV, etc.

Interesting points! Makes sense. So after the daily for 2-3 weeks, what is the burping schedule thereafter?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

First successful grow is finally in jars. As with ALL ASPECTS of growing, I’ve already learned a ton by trying my first dry/cure. I do not have the manual strength/dexterity for a hand-trim, so I bought a trim bowl (don’t shoot me!). I do a wet trim of fan leaves and break up the large buds. Everything gets spun in the trim bowl, then put on mesh racks in a dedicated 2x4 dry tent with infinity T6 running on level 2. Ambient RH 58-60. Ambient temps 78ish. The first plant I dried, I had a small fan within the tent but not pointing at the buds, but they dried out FAST, so I turned that off and only have the infinity moving air. I jar the buds at 48 hours. This generally puts the jarred RH at 60-65%. I monitor closely, as some have required extra time out of the jars (into mesh bag) if they creep into high 60’s to 70s RH, but not beyond the first day or two. I’ve had one batch that got into the upper 50s - wet cotton ball under the lid and they were within 60-65 in 24 hrs Thereafter I burp twice a day (open for an hour or so early, shorter in pm) by removing the hygrometer and shaking the buds round in the jar. Once RH has stabilized, I add an 8g 62% Boveda pack to each jar, and switch to burping daily (removing hygrometer and boveda each burp session and shaking buds around). If every thing stays stable for a week or so thereafter, I remove the hygrometer and leave Boveda.

Questions:
1. I know the dry is quick, but as long as I stay in the parameters (aka not getting too dry), should the taste/terps be ok? First vapes have been pretty damn harsh, but I expected that pre-cure.
2. What is the minimum time I need to leave the jars open when burping? My bovedas are drying out quickly, so I wondered if all the burping is excessive in duration.
3. At what point in the cure should things be “right”? Kind of the minimum cure to really get the flavors/terps? I’m wondering when it is fair to assess a strain (example: sour stomper‘s stank is kicking my ass…but I know it needs time to cure before I give it my final review. Good buzz, though).
4. Grove bags: I have read the main thread; initially I planned to stick with “tried and true”, but I see so many experienced folks switching over. If I tried them, am I understanding correctly that, once dried and I’m confident the RH has stabilized, I just put the bud and a Boveda in a bag and I’m done? No more burping?

THANKS EVERYONE

Drying over 5 or 6 days will give a better result. Run your T6 Level 2 the first day then slow it down. The temps are a little high but I often have to dry at those levels 68°F to 70°F at 55% - 60% RH will take 5 or 6 days to get to the Brown Bag Stage. Put all the buds in a brown bag to "Sweat" the remaining moisture out of the middle of the buds to give an even moisture level to the entire bud. Then Jar it with a hygrometer the goal is 62% RH. Burping is only to replace the O² and just takes a minute. It is at the jarring stage that I use Grove Bags for curing and storage.

https://www.autoflower.org/threads/grove-bags-and-boveda-curing.79246/

 

[CannabisMingus]

Interesting points! Makes sense. So after the daily for 2-3 weeks, what is the burping schedule thereafter?

Once per week for another month. Then once a month if I can hang on to any.

 

[CannabisMingus]

It is at the jarring stage that I use Grove Bags for curing and storage.

Thanks for the recommendation @Mañ'O'Green. Just ordered to some Grove Bags to try on my next cure.

 

[Cooterjuice]

Drying over 5 or 6 days will give a better result. Run your T6 Level 2 the first day then slow it down. The temps are a little high but I often have to dry at those levels 68°F to 70°F at 55% - 60% RH will take 5 or 6 days to get to the Brown Bag Stage. Put all the buds in a brown bag to "Sweat" the remaining moisture out of the middle of the buds to give an even moisture level to the entire bud. Then Jar it with a hygrometer the goal is 62% RH. Burping is only to replace the O² and just takes a minute. It is at the jarring stage that I use Grove Bags for curing and storage.

https://www.autoflower.org/threads/grove-bags-and-boveda-curing.79246/

@Mañ'O'Green Awesome info as always MOG. At what point do you go to paper bags to "sweat"? small stem snap? Bigger stem snap? I've been maintaining 59%Rh for the past 5 days at 73°. No clear "snap" sound yet on smaller stems. I have a few brown paper bags but don't think I have enough for what I have hanging. Would a plastic tote with a lid give the same effect? Thanks in advance. And edit, I will be using Grove Bags

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@Mañ'O'Green Awesome info as always MOG. At what point do you go to paper bags to "sweat"? small stem snap? Bigger stem snap? I've been maintaining 59%Rh for the past 5 days at 73°. No clear "snap" sound yet on smaller stems. I have a few brown paper bags but don't think I have enough for what I have hanging. Would a plastic tote with a lid give the same effect? Thanks in advance. And edit, I will be using Grove Bags

No, you need brown paper bags. The bags slowly wick the moisture away from the buds very evenly.

When the tips of the smaller leaves feel dry to the touch move them to the brown bags. I have never got the snaping a stem thing to work for me? After a day do jar test. Put some typical buds in a mason jar with a hygrometer. When you are around 63% -64% RH they are ready for the grove bags.

 

[Cooterjuice]

No, you need brown paper bags. The bags slowly wick the moisture away from the buds very evenly.

When the tips of the smaller leaves feel dry to the touch move them to the brown bags. I have never got the snaping a stem thing to work for me? After a day do jar test. Put some typical buds in a mason jar with a hygrometer. When you are around 63% -64% RH they are ready for the grove bags.

Is my first harvest. Thanks for the clarification. And one more question. How full do you fill the brown paper bags? 75%?

 

[nizmoKush]

You just fill the bottom part of the bag I belive you can't stack buds inside.