 | Pot Culture: Drying & Curing |
 The Bush Doctor, Norml News Autumn 2004
Too often we see people go to heaps of effort to grow good gear only to blow it by not drying and curing properly.
RIPENESS Cannabis is considered ripe when the plant reaches Peak Floral Production. This is when the flower clusters have filled out with calyxes and single and triple resin coated leaves are popping out. Only the oldest pistils (white hairs) will have turned brown so the bud has a distinct white look. Resin heads will be sticking out of the flowering parts of the plant and some stalks. These trichomes (capitate stalked trichomes) have the highest concentration of THC acids. At this early stage these are at a peak, while CBD and CBN are at their lowest, giving the user an uplifting high. CBN and CBD have sedative effects.
Terpenes, which give the herb the beautiful tastes and aromas we all love, are also at a peak. There are 103 aromatic terpenes known to occur in cannabis, and these can join (polymerisation) during curing to form new polyterpenes, with different aromas.
Leaves, especially lower ones, should be yellowing off. An easy way to check for this culmination of converging factors is, when the leaves start to change colour, look at the trichomes with a magnifying glass. When most can be seen to be changing from clear to opaque/golden, it is time. DRYING Cannabis is dried to enhance the product and for storage. Cannabis is usually harvested two ways, all at once or by taking what is ready at the time. When the ripe bits are cut first they will dry quickly due to being removed from the plant but it creates more handling with potential damage. When a whole plant is harvested it dries more slowly but with less handling. If hung upside down which seems logical and is easy the leaves dry around the buds forming a protective wrapper and stopping the resins being rubbed off. The plant is considered dry when dried to 25% of the original weight, although 10% water still remains.
Boiling roots and hanging plants upside down do not move resins into the buds. Resins are produced in the flower and are not translocatable. CURING Curing needs to be understood and mastered to produce the most pungent, kick arse, smooth smoking weed. If dried too much herb becomes harsh crappy weak dust. When dried too quickly the weed remains green in colour and taste - minty on the tongue and hot burning. There are ways to rehydrate the herb, but it will never be the same, like cooking an egg and trying to turn it back to a raw one.
Things are going on at a cellular level during curing. Non-psychoactive cannabinoid acids are decarboxylating into the psychoactive cannabinoids, which is very important I'm sure you all agree. The terpenes also isomerize, creating the final aromas and flavours. During curing chlorophyll breaks down, so the herb goes a golden brown colour. Curing requires slow drying in the presence of oxygen (over 3-4 weeks or more if you can) otherwise anaerobic decomposition by bacteria and mold will occur leaving the telltale ammonia smell and a crappy smoke.
This means dry slowly in a cool dark space that has good air flow. When ready to smoke, remove the outer (wrapper) leaves just prior to session for the freshest tastiest smooooothest smoke. STORAGE Store finally cured weed in airtight, cold, dark, dry place for maximum preservation. All samples can be sent to me care of NORML for professional appraisal.
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