Today we are discussing what many believe is the single most important step when cultivating cannabis - the cannabis curing process. If you’ve already taken the time and effort to grow some exceptional weed - by preparing the soil, planting the seeds or clones, and irrigating and fertilizing your crop while managing any pests - it is now time to move on to harvesting.
Harvesting just means to basically cut your beautiful pot plant into manageable pieces. The end goal of this whole cannabis cultivation cycle, whether it’s intended for personal use or commercial sale, is to trim your plant into beautiful buds to improve the appearance and aroma, make the product less harsh and maximize the THC content. Between the harvesting and the trimming phases, that’s when the drying and curing cannabis processes occur. The importance of curing weed cannot be emphasized enough. The cannabis curing process, tedious as it may seem, is what can make or break your ability to cultivate delicious and potent weed.
What does curing weed do?
The integral step of curing cannabis is what will inevitably create a sweet, smooth, tasty and potent experience that every aficionado seeks. Cannabis begins to degrade from the moment the crop is harvested. You have to remember that cannabinoids are chemically active compounds that account for the sensation of being “high”, and terpenes are the organic compounds responsible for giving plants their flavors and scents. Once your cannabis plants are harvested, you must quickly halt degradation, otherwise the cannabinoids and terpenes will transform into something far less favorable. What does curing weed do? It keeps cannabis flowers at the correct humidity and temperature post-harvest so that the transformation from non-psychoactive cannabinoids to psychoactive THC continues, resulting in the most potent products.What is the best technique for curing cannabis?
When it comes to curing weed, the best method involves a combination of controlled drying along with proper storage that stabilizes temperature and humidity. While there is no doubt that drying and curing cannabis is truly an art, if you have properly dried your crop, cannabis curing is relatively simple to do. After you have taken the time to properly dry your cannabis harvest, the curing process consists of placing it into sealed containers or climate-controlled environments to prevent moisture and the dissipation of terpenes. While the container used to store your harvest is always up for debate - with options ranging from simple Mason jars to specialized curing bags to plastic totes to steel tins - there are definite steps every grower should take when curing cannabis. The cannabis curing process uniformly consists of:- Placement: The harvested and dried cannabis must be placed within airtight containers or perhaps hung in a cool dark place. Being airtight is important because it is the only way you can truly control your environment. If you’re using a container, do not overpack it. The general rule of thumb is that the container should be no more than about 75% full to avoid overcrowding and potential mold issues.
- Burping: These containers must be regularly “burped”. This means that they must be opened briefly to allow fresh air to circulate and excess moisture and gasses to be released on a periodic basis. In the beginning, burping should be done at least once a day.
- Monitoring: It is crucial to maintain both proper humidity and temperature within your curing containers. When it comes to temperature, lower temps can increase the risk of mold while higher temps can degrade both cannabinoids and terpenes. When it comes to humidity, if the levels are too dry, the buds can become brittle; if it is too humid, then mold becomes a threat. While the perfect temperature and exact humidity are up for debate, and part of what makes the curing process an artform, it is safe to say that you should aim for a temperature of around 55 to 65 degrees and a RH (relative humidity) of around 45% to 65%.
- Adjustments: The only truly accurate way to measure RH is through the use of a hygrometer. But there are other signs that your humidity is less than optimal, such as a smell of ammonia being emitted. This means that bacteria is beginning to form. You also want to visually inspect your harvest daily for any signs of mold or mildew that can appear as unusual spots or areas of discoloration. If your curing temperature or humidity is off, you want to readjust ASAP to get back to optimal levels. This can be done by keeping the container open for a longer period of time or even adding humidity packs - but vigilance is key. You need to adjust before any problems become irreparable.
- Patience: Other than burping, monitoring and adjusting, you should establish your curing cannabis process and then leave it alone. It is important to limit any unnecessary handling and not disrupt the curing process. After a few weeks of curing, you’ll probably transition from burping your containers daily to burping once a week. And while the buds inside may be technically smokable within a week or two, continuing to cure it for an additional four to eight weeks will dramatically improve both its potency and flavor. Do not rush the process - your carefully cured cannabis will be worth the wait!