You’ve bought the seeds, the equipment, and the fertilizer. You’ve learned how veg and flower work, applied some low-stress training techniques, and even gotten some trimming in. Your first harvest is ready; Now what?
It’s time for curing! This article explains how the curing process helps solidify and bolden the tastes and smells of cannabis.
Key takeaway/TLDR
Curing cannabis is a process that comes after the post-harvest drying phase. Curing improves the quality of the dried flower by enhancing potency, flavor, preservation and reduces the amount of chlorophyll and sugars in the cannabis plant. By carefully controlling environmental factors, curing transforms raw cannabis into a product that is smoother, more aromatic, and more enjoyable to consume.
What is Curing, and why is it an Essential Final Step?
Curing is a time-honored method used in various industries to enhance product quality. Like aging cheese for enhanced flavor or treating leather to increase durability, cannabis curing involves precise environmental control to improve its properties, making it a standard and crucial step in many production processes.
Curing cannabis, like aging cheese or wine, demands precise environmental control, making it a crucial step in various production processes.
Why Should I Cure Cannabis Flower?
Curing is not just about drying the cannabis plant; it’s about allowing a controlled breakdown of chlorophyll and other compounds. This process enhances potency, improves flavor by reducing harshness, and extends cannabis buds’ shelf life, making them more enjoyable and longer-lasting.
What is the best way to Cure Cannabis?
The key to curing cannabis lies in patience and time (minimum 2 weeks). Proper curing is a slow process that cannot be rushed. It involves gradual moisture reduction and environmental control, ensuring the preservation of cannabinoids and terpenes, which are essential for the flower’s potency and aroma.
The best way to cure isn’t really about the ‘technique’ (there aren’t many different curing methods); it’s more about your patience and personal preferences. It comes down to when YOU think the buds are ‘ripe enough’ for consumption.
The best curing isn’t about techniques; it’s more about your patience and personal preference in deciding when the weed buds are ready for consumption.
What happens inside cannabis flowers when curing?
When a cannabis plant is curing, moisture moves from the center of the flower to the drier outer areas. This moisture movement (water activity) helps prevent excessive moisture concentration in certain areas, making it hospitable for mold. It also helps marijuana buds reduce water content while keeping precious oils intact.
Think of the oils contained in the trichome heads of your flower (like cannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids) as “volatile” oils, meaning they have a high chance of reacting to other materials and compounds. During the curing process, these oils are stabilized in the plant, solidifying their aroma and flavor. This stabilizing breaks down sugars and chlorophyll to produce the beautiful end product we all know and love.
Detailed visual guide to trichomes on a cannabis plant
Can I cure my buds without trimming?
Curing typically comes after the trimming process. While it’s possible to cure untrimmed, trimming your cannabis buds first ensures a more uniform and effective curing process.
If you want to grow your own cannabis and cure marijuana buds yourself, please take a look at our seed selection below!
A step-by-step Guide on how to Cure Cannabis
When we talk about curing, we refer to a process that is entirely separate from drying. Curing takes place after drying cannabis out. Although drying is necessary to reduce the possibility of mold and extend its shelf life, curing is the end of the drying process and the start of the storage process.
To make the most of your curing process, follow the steps below:
1. Prepare your environment
To cure properly, you’ll need a dry room between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5-21 degrees Celsius). This room (or cupboard) must be dark to protect your flower from UV light degradation.
2. Put your flowers in proper containers
Airtight containers are imperative to cannabis curing. An airtight environment lets critical oils in the plant stabilize and enhance through aging. Typically, you’ll want to fill the jar ¾ of the way to leave room for a hygrometer so you can monitor the status of the flowers.
ILGM Pro Grow Tip: Label your containers with the cultivar name, temperature, and humidity levels over time so you can better understand how the final product came to be.
When you have the hygrometer and airtight jar with weed buds, place the hygrometer inside of the jar with buds!
3. Monitor Humidity and Temperature Levels
You need to be really attentive in the first week of jarring your cannabis for curing! The first week of storing your flower opens up the possibility of mold developing and ruining your harvest. Depending on humidity, mold can develop within your container in the first few days. If you smell an ammonia-like aroma from your jar, mold is likely developing on your buds. If you notice this smell or have moldy buds, discard them immediately.
To monitor the temperature and humidity, buy small hygrometers to track the process. Focus on keeping the humidity levels between 58-62% and the temperature at around 60°F (15.5°C) or at least below 70°F (21°C).
If your buds are still a bit too moist after drying, try keeping the humidity level within your curing environment around 45% for the first week to reduce the excess moisture. If you choose to do that, however, be sure to monitor your buds closely, as it may cause you to dry out your buds too fast.
Having said that, I advise you to leave any bud that still feels ‘too moist’ in ‘drying-mode’ for a few days longer until you can hear the stem of the bud snap. That indicates that the nug is ready for curing and will reduce the risk of mold developing in the curing jar.
Mold in a jar of cannabis buds can be absolutely devastating.
4. “Burp” your jars
Along with proper storage, be sure to open your jars periodically throughout the first few weeks. This method, called “burping,” releases CO2 and moisture into the air as cannabis cures. We recommend burping your jars more frequently at shorter intervals and changing them to every few days after the first couple weeks.
What Tools do I Need to Cure Cannabis Properly?
The most important tools for curing weed are the airtight jar, the thermometer and the hygrometer.
To cure cannabis effectively, you will need an airtight container (like glass jars), a cool and dark storage space, and tools to monitor humidity and temperature, such as hygrometers and thermometers.
How do I monitor humidity and temperature while curing cannabis?
Use hygrometers inside your curing containers to keep track of the humidity levels. The ideal range is between 58-62% humidity. Temperature should be maintained ideally at 60°F (15.5°C) or below 70°F (21°C).
Humidity control pouches like Boveda are a good way to mitigate the risk of moist buds since they add and remove moisture from the environment while monitoring and controlling the relative humidity. These packets allow for a more guarded approach to your curing process. The viability of humidity control pouches is the biggest thing to watch out for. Check if they’re dried out upon receipt; if they are, it can hurt the quality of your cannabis during curing.
Matthew DeBacco is a Professor of Agronomy (MS) as well as Plant Pathology and Horticulture (BS), who teaches several courses on the Horticulture of Cannabis at the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Connecticut.
Be sure to like and subscribe to his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DeBaccoUniversity
Should I cure cannabis in the dark?
YES! Curing buds in the dark is recommended to protect it from UV light, which can degrade cannabinoids and terpenes, which reduces the flower’s potency and flavor. Studies have shown that both UV light and time are significant contributors to THC degradation, leading it to turn into cannabinol (CBN).
What container should I use to cure my cannabis?
Traditional mason jars are practical for curing. Grovebag uses Terploc technology in their curing bags, offering more convenience and control over the curing environment. That said, Burp lids can also be used. New technologies that help the drying and curing process are constantly developing. The single most crucial factor of curing containers is their airtightness. If you have all of the other elements in check (humidity, temperature, and UV), an airtight jar is all you need to be able to cure your cannabis correctly.
Matthew DeBacco provides growers with accurate information about growing, harvesting and curing cannabis.
Be sure to like and subscribe to his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DeBaccoUniversity
How Long Should I Cure Cannabis Flower?
Curing time can vary depending on factors like environment, cultivars, the care taken for the plant, and its condition during the drying phase. Typically, the recommended timeframe for curing cannabis is a minimum of two weeks. This can vary from grower to grower; some cure for multiple months to ensure the best quality product.
How do I know when my buds are cured?
Your buds are appropriately cured when dry to the touch but still slightly springy, with a strong aroma. They should not feel wet or crumble to dust. I typically check my flowers through smelling, squeezing, and smoking to see how ready they are. For smell, I check for the “vegetative” aroma that chlorophyll usually gives off. When squeezing, I look to see if there’s a firmness in the buds and that it’s not immediately flattening when I apply pressure. When smoking, I see if there’s a harshness to the inhale. If so, that shows me the chlorophyll hasn’t been properly broken down.
If you want to get an all in one package of information about not just curing, but growing and dyring marijuana as well, please take a look at Robert’s Grow Bible.
Can I over-cure cannabis?
It’s possible to over-cure your cannabis, but we’ll give you the right tips so you don’t. Taking an excessively long time to cure your flowers can result in essential compounds like cannabinoids and terpenes degrading, leaving you with less potency and flavor than you would have had otherwise. We recommend around 3-6 weeks of curing your flowers with consistent burping; the time is variable depending on what you want your process to be.
If you’re going to cure weed for an extended period, be sure to monitor the relative humidity and temperature, and take the time to smell and squeeze the buds to know how they develop.
Summary
What are the benefits of curing cannabis?
Curing improves the overall quality of cannabis by enhancing its flavor and aroma. Similar to aging wine to bring out the different notes that lay dormant in the grapes, curing completes the process of bringing cannabis to a point where it’s enjoyable to smoke.
What about curing hash?
Hash can benefit from being cured; its goal is the same as curing flowers: enhancing potency and flavor profile. Aged hash has also become highly prized, with individuals like Frenchy Cannoli and the Trichome Research Initiative opening research around it.
Is cured better than non-cured?
Yes, cured cannabis is undeniably superior to non-cured cannabis. Without the curing process, cannabis smoke tends to be harsh; the flavor is not fully present, and different factors, like chlorophyll, muddy the aroma.
Happy Curing!
Used sources for this article
Das, P. C., Vista, A., Tabil, L. G., & Baik, O. (2022). Postharvest operations of cannabis and their effect on cannabinoid content: a review. Bioengineering, 9(8), 364. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9080364
Frenchy Cannoli. (n.d.). Trichome Research Initiative. Frenchy Cannoli Brand. Retrieved from https://frenchycannoli.com/trichome-research-initiative
Zamengo, L., Bettin, C., Badocco, D., Di Marco, V., Miolo, G., & Frison, G. (2019). The role of time and storage conditions on the composition of hashish and marijuana samples: A four-year study. Forensic Science International, 298, 131–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.02.058
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