From Harvest To Curing
You finally made it to the most exciting process: the harvest.
To start off you will have to start to slow down your watering allowing the plant to dry up a bit but not so much that the plant starts to wilt. You don’t want to go through all this work just to fall short at the finish line. You should leave the plants that are ready for harvest in total darkness for about 48 hours.
Some people say 24-48 hours but I believe 48 hours produces the most consistent results and it helps break down excess sugar naturally which helps improve flavor.
It is very important that the light doesn’t touch your plant at this stage. This could degrade and actually totally ruin the psychoactive portion of THC.
Next, you will need to cut the plant down. Depending on space you have you can do this in two ways mainly. Either cut the whole plant and leave it together or cut the branches into smaller pieces.
Both ways are completely acceptable to do. I personally prefer cutting the branches into smaller pieces this can decrease the drying time while still reaching maximum potency. You don’t want to rush this process because you will ruin the flavor, potency, and consistency of your bud. Whichever way you decide to cut, you will now need to hang the plant to dry.
During this time it is important to watch the temperature, humidity, and light exposure. A moist environment can cause mold, the temperature and light can breakdown THC.
Keep the humidity around 45-55% while keeping the temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows a slow dry to make sure all residual sugars are broken down to ensure the best taste and potency.
You will need to keep them hung up until the branches snap opposed to bend. This is the physical signal that will tell you they are ready to be trimmed. You will need to trim away sugar leaves because they will add a harshness and bitter flavor to the smoke.
You can use the trim and extract the THC separately but it is important to trim during this stage. This will bring you to the curing stage. You will want to put them into a container (jars, sealable bags, etc.).
Then you will need to find a cool dry location to leave them. Again remember to avoid any contact with light because as previously said moisture and warm temperature will cause molding and the light will cause the breakdown of THC.
You will need to burp the container multiple times a day for the first week. This process varies in time and basically like aging wine. The product can actually get better the longer you cure it but to give you a time it should be at least 2 weeks to be smokable.
You will notice that the bud will become firm and smells will start to strengthen. Obviously not everyone wants to wait the extra time but I do recommend it. It will totally change smells, color, and flavor and can produce some very enjoyable results.