It might seem like the hard work is done once you have harvested your cannabis crop, but the truth is you still have some work to do before your weed is bong-ready. By that we mean you still have to dry and cure your cannabis buds in order to ensure they produce an optimal experience. In this guide, the team at the 710 Pipes headshop in Denver take a close look at the process of curing your cannabis buds.
What is Curing?
Curing cannabis involves drying the harvested buds in a controlled environment where the temperature is kept between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels are kept between 50 and 60%. Curing can take several weeks in total and is essential because it:
Increases the potency of your weed
You put a lot of time and effort into cultivating your cannabis so it does not make sense to try and cut corners once the weed has been harvested. Curing your buds not only dries them out so that they’re easier to fire up, it also increases the potency of your weed.
As the buds are dried and cured the various compounds within undergo what’s known as biosynthesis. For instance, one such compound – tetrahydrocannabinolic acid or THCA – is slowly converted into THC. If you skip the curing process that THCA will never undergo conversion and the potency of your weed will suffer.
Ensures an enchanting aroma and a tasty smoke
The aroma of quality herb is unlike any other. This unique and compelling smell is the product of terpenes within the buds. But terpenes are fragile compounds. Failing to cure your weed properly, or worse yet, attempting to speed up the drying process through a forced hot-air method, will destroy the terpenes within and leave you with a largely odorless, generic cannabis experience. And since terpenes also influence the taste of your herb, it will not only have an unremarkable odor, it will be largely tasteless as well.
Curing extends the useful life of your cannabis
Freshly harvested herb is moist. That might not seem like such a big deal but if you don’t do something to reduce the moisture content of your buds you will leave them susceptible to the growth of mold and bacteria. And nobody wants moldy, bacteria-laden weed. If you want your carefully cultivated crop to last for a while after harvesting you will need to cure it properly.
Weed that is properly cured can be stored effectively in an airtight container for up to two years. Meanwhile, you can expect uncured weed to start sprouting mold colonies in a couple of months. Keep in mind too that if you don’t cure your weed it will not only be a playground for mold and bacteria, it will be largely tasteless and odorless. Yuck!
Drying Your Cannabis
Drying is the first step in a two-step curing process that will result in an optimal cannabis experience. As you get close to harvest time make sure you gather together everything you will need to dry your weed. That means:
- Wide-mouth mason jars (how many will depend on how much herb you’re harvesting)
- A clothesline and clothespins or drying rack for the harvested herb
- A hygrometer to measure the humidity of the air in your drying room
Trimming
The drying process should start as soon as you harvest your herb. Failing to do so will encourage the growth of mold and undermine all the work you’ve done to this point. In order to prepare your weed for drying you will first need to trim it back. We recommend cutting foot-long branches from your plants and then immediately trimming away all the large fan leaves. This is known as “wet trimming”.
When talking to Denver growers at our pipe shop some state they prefer dry trimming over wet trimming. Dry trimming involves cutting and hanging branches and then trimming things back only after the branches have dried. We, however, recommend wet trimming, unless you are dealing with a huge commercial crop.
Hanging the buds to dry
The good news about hanging your weed up to dry is that you don’t need any fancy equipment to do so. A few clotheslines strung across a room in which you have some control over the environment is all that’s necessary.
You can sling the cut branches over the lines, attach them to the lines with clothes pins or, if you only have a small number of plants, you can hang the cut branches using clothes hangers hooked over pegs attached to the wall. (Of course, if you can afford it you can also purchase a special cannabis drying rack. But it’s not necessary.)
Whatever method you use make sure to hang your cannabis buds-down. You should have fully dry buds in anywhere from one to two weeks.
How to Cure Your Cannabis
Once you have dried your buds it’s time for the next step in the curing process. Here’s what you’ll need to do to make sure your buds are properly cured.
Separate the buds
Remove the dried buds from the branches/stalks.
Place the buds into mason jars
Hopefully, you did your prep work and secured the right amount of mason jars for your buds. 32 oz mason jars are the preferred curing containers because they seal tightly and are neither too small nor so large that they encourage the growth of mold. Fill each jar to about 75% capacity.
If you can’t get your hands on mason jars, don’t worry. Wooden, metal or plastic storage vessels will do in a pinch as long as they are not too large and they seal up tight.
Put the mason jars in a dark place
Make sure each mason jar is sealed tight and then put them in the climate controlled room you have selected as your curing room. Set up your hygrometer to monitor humidity levels in the room and make sure you have some way of knowing and controlling the temperature.
Check up on your buds
Your buds are going to be in the curing room for at least a few weeks. During the first few days of curing open each jar once a day to allow moisture to escape and the buds to breathe. Leave each jar open for a few minutes, no more, no less, before sealing them back up again.
After a few days, you can stop opening the jars but you should still check on them to make sure conditions in the room have not changed for the worse.
Store your weed long-term
After several weeks of curing your cannabis should be ready to be enjoyed. But obviously it’s going to take some time to go through all the weed you’ve grown and harvested. So that means you’ll need to store most of it away.
We recommend using vacuum bags to store your buds long-term. And, if you have a freezer with lots of empty space you can store the vacuum bags in there for 1 – 2 years before you’ll have to worry about the weed going bad.
Final Thoughts
You put a lot of time and energy into cultivating your cannabis crop, so don’t get impatient once you’ve harvested your weed. Take the time to dry and cure your herb properly. That way, you’ll get to enjoy the full, rich aroma and flavor and your herb will be at its maximum potency.
Shop Our Online Head Shop for All Your Cannabis Accessories
Once your home-grown cannabis is properly dried and cured you will need the right device to pay off on that optimal experience we mentioned above. The 710 Pipes online smoke shop is your one-stop-shop for heady glass, bongs, vapes and other cannabis accessories that will help you get the most from your weed. Or, if you’re in Denver, stop by our brick-and-mortar shop.