New Grower Vacuum packing for long term storage

[nhdtjq]

Hi all. I am considering getting a midrange kitchen vacuum packer specifically to use for my weed.



If anyone uses them please chime in as to your experience.

When would be a good time to pack the bud? Immediately after preliminary drying? A few weeks into cure?

Also, can the sealed bags be stored say in an unheated cellar or even be buried (temperatures ranging from 30 to -30C where i live)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[lost360]

Make sure its dry i use the vacuum jar but bag be the same just smash it

 

[superchimp]

A long time ago, I used my Foodsaver to vacuum seal buds in Foodsaver bags. I don't recommend this approach unless you can provide a container inside the sealing bag that can prevent crushing of the buds. The bags are fantastic for removing air from the sealed buds, but they really crush them into tight compressed buds. If you could devise a container that is very sturdy but allows air to be removed, that's a good possibility. Otherwise, consider Foodsaver vacuum containers, which remove air but don't crush the buds. Vacuum seal in containers (making sure that your buds have been properly cured and aren't too moist). I use the 1, 1.5, and 2 quart containers and just refrigerate them at around 40 degrees F. I don't recommend freezing buds under any circumstances, that damages the buds. Removing air from buds, and keeping them away from light and at a fairly low temperature (not freezing) will help them last for years. I had 6 year old Bubblegum buds that still looked fresh after being sealed in Foodsaver containers and refrigerated at around 40 degrees.

Good luck, you can make buds last for many years if you keep them away from light, heat, and air.

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

 

[nhdtjq]

A long time ago, I used my Foodsaver to vacuum seal buds in Foodsaver bags. I don't recommend this approach unless you can provide a container inside the sealing bag that can prevent crushing of the buds. The bags are fantastic for removing air from the sealed buds, but they really crush them into tight compressed buds. If you could devise a container that is very sturdy but allows air to be removed, that's a good possibility. Otherwise, consider Foodsaver vacuum containers, which remove air but don't crush the buds. Vacuum seal in containers (making sure that your buds have been properly cured and aren't too moist). I use the 1, 1.5, and 2 quart containers and just refrigerate them at around 40 degrees F. I don't recommend freezing buds under any circumstances, that damages the buds. Removing air from buds, and keeping them away from light and at a fairly low temperature (not freezing) will help them last for years. I had 6 year old Bubblegum buds that still looked fresh after being sealed in Foodsaver containers and refrigerated at around 40 degrees.

Good luck, you can make buds last for many years if you keep them away from light, heat, and air.

Thanks for the advice mate! I have considered that and didnt think it would matter much how compressed the buds are - its all for personal use and goes in the grinder anyway, so whats the difference?

But now that you mention it maybe youre right. The vaccumator im considering has a little valve so it can also work containers as well as bags.

Can you tell me please when you sealed the bud? I mean how long after chopping/ how dry it is when you seal it.

 

[nhdtjq]

Make sure its dry i use the vacuum jar but bag be the same just smash it

Can you please elaborate - how dry roughly? I jar my weed for cure at about 30-40 rh usually (quite dry i know, but i use a dehumidifier and get really consistent results).

 

[briman]

@ 30-40% RH Your bud doesn't cure anymore. Anything under 62%RH stops the curing process and your TCH is breaking down at lower humidities. Here is what I do for the long storage. I put my dried bud in mason jars and put a claiberII hygrometer in 2-3 jars out of 12-15 jars per harvest. Burp jars down to 64% and and throw in a 62% boveda, then take a 2 gallon bucket, fill it 3/4 full of water, place an ounce of bud in baggies and submerge the bag, into the water, right under the zip line on the baggie. It pushes most of the air out and doesn't suck the bag down, like a vac packer and crush all your trichombs. I then throw the bags into a rubbermaid tote, cover with the lid and pull an oz at a time. It's quite cool on the garage floor where I store it. I too have an oz of good Kush thats 5 years old, waiting for a good friends reunion in the future! The only time I freeze weed is for a hash run!

 

[superchimp]

Thanks for the advice mate! I have considered that and didnt think it would matter much how compressed the buds are - its all for personal use and goes in the grinder anyway, so whats the difference?

But now that you mention it maybe youre right. The vaccumator im considering has a little valve so it can also work containers as well as bags.

Can you tell me please when you sealed the bud? I mean how long after chopping/ how dry it is when you seal it.

Crushing the buds does affect their long-term wellbeing, they are much less pleasant when treated this way. Believe me, if I felt that vacuum bags were a good option, I'd still be using them. As I said before, if you could devise a sturdy container that allows air to easily get in/out, and put that container into the vacuum bags before sealing, the container would prevent the crushing of the buds while still allowing air to be extracted during the sealing process.

Your buds should be fully dried and cured, not freshly harvested or damp. As pointed out by the other kind person above, 62% is the ideal storage humidity for buds, and you can obtain Boveda pouches that will help maintain that humidity inside a container.

Unfortunately the containers are not too easy to find at reasonable prices (but the bags or rolls are widely available and fairly cheap). The 2 quart containers are $20 directly from the Foodsaver website:

http://www.foodsaver.com/food-stora...ese-grater/T020-00079-P10.html#sz=12&start=15

Which is fairly expensive. Check ebay for other options including the 1 and 1.5 quart versions. The 2 quart containers can hold up to about 4oz each, depending on the density/weight of the buds.

Mold is obviously something that you must avoid, it will ruin your buds. Refrigerators have fairly low humidity and also low temperatures (around 40 degrees, and you can adjust a bit), which really helps slow down the deterioration of the buds.

Again if you can devise a sturdy crushproof container to go inside the vacuum bags, place the fully dried/cured buds into that container, and then seal removing all air without crushing the buds, it would be a great option. But be warned, the container must be very sturdy, or it will be crushed by the force of the vacuum. Good luck and do let us know what you decide to use! Remember, light, air, temperature, and humidity are all factors that need to be controlled to keep the buds safe! [emoji56]

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

 

[nhdtjq]

@ 30-40% RH Your bud doesn't cure anymore. Anything under 62%RH stops the curing process and your TCH is breaking down at lower humidities. Here is what I do for the long storage. I put my dried bud in mason jars and put a claiberII hygrometer in 2-3 jars out of 12-15 jars per harvest. Burp jars down to 64% and and throw in a 62% boveda, then take a 2 gallon bucket, fill it 3/4 full of water, place an ounce of bud in baggies and submerge the bag, into the water, right under the zip line on the baggie. It pushes most of the air out and doesn't suck the bag down, like a vac packer and crush all your trichombs. I then throw the bags into a rubbermaid tote, cover with the lid and pull an oz at a time. It's quite cool on the garage floor where I store it. I too have an oz of good Kush thats 5 years old, waiting for a good friends reunion in the future! The only time I freeze weed is for a hash run!

Pretty good idea that! No doubt it keeps just the right amount of air in there. Still a bit of hassle compared to the machine. Plus its a machine man, technology!

About my technique. Im going by what i presume is the rh of the outer layer of the buds, probably checkabale by placing in a jar and taking a measurement after 5 minutes, but i just do it by time, a week of hang drying and up to 10 hours dehumidifying until the outside is almost crisp. Then i jar them and burp rarely unless im upping the ante on a particular bud i want to smoke. The chlorophyll smell stays a long time, but when i know im going to need a new jar i burp it out in a week or two and its perfect.

Also ive found mason jars arent all that well sealed, so i guess sometimes they burp themselves.

The jars i know well and understand, but i fear the vacuum... its so final.

Your way is certainly a compromise i think ill try asap, before buying the vacuumator.

Thanks a lot mate, wisdom like science

 

[nhdtjq]

... if you can devise a sturdy crushproof container to go inside the vacuum bags

I just had an idea maybe use a coconut husk

Nah but really the containers also sound like a good option, might even have one somewhere, i always wondered what the hell that hole in that plastic thing with a lid was.

Btw, when i dehumidify my bud, it feels crisp to the touch, but inside it is quite gooey, and the tricomes are still resinous and well attached. I leave a lot of sugar leaf too and my jars are dispensary clean by the end.

 

[superchimp]

I just had an idea maybe use a coconut husk

Nah but really the containers also sound like a good option, might even have one somewhere, i always wondered what the hell that hole in that plastic thing with a lid was.

Btw, when i dehumidify my bud, it feels crisp to the touch, but inside it is quite gooey, and the tricomes are still resinous and well attached. I leave a lot of sugar leaf too and my jars are dispensary clean by the end.

Years ago I tried using Pyrex glass containers that come with plastic lids (they come in various sizes), filled with buds, punched a few holes in the lids, and then sealed them inside the vacuum bags. While it seemed to work initially, the lids often caved in due to the force of the vacuum, thus partially crushing the buds. I switched to the Foodsaver rectangular canisters, which work fairly well, but they sometimes have problems too. Some of them developed cracks in the container (not the lid), because the containers are made out of a somewhat brittle plastic. So they're not perfect either.

Coconut husks are organic materials and would probably not be a good option, since they could mold. You need inorganic materials for the container.

Also, before buying a Foodsaver sealing machine, check reviews from users if possible (Amazon, etc). Some are better than others.



Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk