You’ve been attempting your hand at hashish cultivation over the previous 12 months or so, and now you’ve carried out it. You’ve lastly harvested a batch of homegrown buds you’ll be able to actually be happy with and may’t wait to start out smoking. One factor, although, that was solely half the work. Now it’s time for post-production, drying, trimming, and curing, the processes, strategies, and strategies that can take your freshly grown flowers to their highest degree by way of high quality, style, and smokability.
The steps growers take after the plant is harvested, whether or not you’re a hashish firm or a modest ganja grower, are important for guaranteeing the standard of the crop. In hashish, there are a lot of alternative ways to course of your harvest, together with issues like selecting to trim buds recent off the plant or ready for them to dry earlier than manicuring the buds. Excessive Instances spoke with three main cultivators about which strategies work finest for them and the way residence growers can get probably the most out of their harvest.
“After you harvest the residing plant from that time, it’s, in a way, a race in opposition to time,” stated Ali Jamalian, founder and proprietor of producing firm Sundown Join. “I imagine post-production is 50% of manufacturing high quality end-products. You possibly can harvest a very superb trying flower, however nonetheless actually mess it up in post-production for those who dry it too quick, or for those who go away an excessive amount of fan-leaf on it.”
“Hashish post-production is rather like wine; once you’re taking a look at a plant that has so many alternative kinds of genetics, you’ll be able to’t deal with all of them the identical,” Jamalian stated. “You possibly can’t deal with them the identical throughout cultivation, and also you certain can’t deal with them the identical throughout post-production.”
Drying
As soon as the crop is harvested, it’s time to dry. Drying the buds is crucial not solely to protect and intensify terpenes, but additionally to maintain them recent and micro organism/mold-free.
“We dry for 14 days, hanging the complete plant the other way up in actually tall canopies, utterly defoliated at 60 levels temperature at 60 % humidity,” stated Anna Willey, CEO and head cultivator at CAM (California Artisanal Medication). “Within the dry room, which measures 1,150 sq. toes for a 550-light facility, we’ve got it arrange so the supply of air isn’t just blowing in a single area in order that it’s evenly distributed all through your entire cover.”
Airflow in rooms used for drying hashish flowers is crucial.
“When you undoubtedly desire a good airflow in your rooms, on the identical time, you don’t wish to instantly hit the vegetation with windy air,” stated Jamalian. “It’s a bit of harsh for the curing course of, and when buds are dried with direct air, they’re much less flavorful after the remedy as a result of they’ve been dried a bit of too quick.”
When drying outside or greenhouse ganja, the strategy is analogous, but the follow affords its personal distinctive obstacles.
“We’re cautious about harvesting instances within the greenhouse or full solar surroundings as you don’t wish to harvest within the warmth of the day,” stated Craig Nejedly, proprietor and founding father of Talking Trees. “Vegetation are chopped, weighed moist, then hung in a darkish room that has nice airflow and circulation with dehumidifiers set to 50% humidity, after which we normally take vegetation down after 7-10 days, when the stems will snap simply between your fingers.”
By way of the time he spends drying the flowers, Nejedly stated he doesn’t discover worth in drying the crop for greater than 10 days.
“Some growers appear to search out worth in drying for greater than seven to 10 days, however I don’t,” he stated. “If I used to be going to hold longer, I might in all probability harvest earlier because the plant nonetheless ripens and matures as soon as hung, for instance. I don’t suppose you keep vital terpenes from drying longer.”
Nejedly additionally addressed the crucial matter of moisture.
“As soon as the plant has dried correctly to roughly 10% moisture content material, you wish to preserve the plant intact on the stalk saved cool and dry till it’s prepared for processing,” he stated.
Curing
Curing is probably the most delicate step within the pot post-production course of, during which correctly dried hashish is positioned in hermetic containers to remove damaging micro organism that trigger mildew and mildew. Constant curing also can end in a smoother smoke and retain taste and terpene ratios whereas lowering undesirable chlorophyll.
To remedy buds at CAM, Willey makes use of a device generally present in American kitchens: Tupperware.
“We don’t simply transfer [buds] right into a room the place they’re going to be in turkey luggage. We truly go away them in food-grade containers,” Willey stated. “The joke round CAM is that I’m the ‘Tupperware woman.’”
Utilizing the storage containers helps to protect the plant. The important thing to a superb remedy in any form of container entails common burping, or periodically opening the containers to launch built-up carbon dioxide and any moisture the buds might have shed.
“We use Tupperware to maintain the integrity of the bud construction, to stop injury or squishing, and it’s simpler for dealing with and storage,” Willey stated. “Then we open the containers each three or 4 days, to permit the product to breathe, after which shutting it and letting the moisture retain. We should always get what we hope is an ideal bud on a constant foundation, the place it’s dry on the surface, however nonetheless sticky and moist on the within.”
CAM’s curing durations run seven to 10 days. At Sundown Join, the buds undergo a 17-to-28 day remedy. The time period is “performed by ear,” relying on the dimensions of the nugs being handled.
Relating to the remedy, it’s all about steadiness for Nejedly.
“Curing is a steadiness of attempting to manage the humidity and oxidation of the plant matter versus overexposure to pure parts, so holding issues cool and darkish and burping to not permit air to get too stale is essential,” he stated. “Hashish is like avocado or another fruit. [The buds] proceed to ripen after harvest, after which there’s a high quality line between ripening to preservation and never getting too moist or uncovered to an excessive amount of gentle, or the flower deteriorates shortly. I believe, as soon as harvested, a plant or bud is at its finest about 4 to 5 weeks after harvest if grown, dried, and cured effectively.”
Trimming
With trimming hashish there are a lot of totally different methodologies, however the final purpose is to take away the sugar and fan leaves from across the bud.
“We deal with our trimmers like they’re actually the most vital of us within the constructing as a result of they’re the final folks to the touch our product,” Willey stated. “Our coaching for [trimmers] may be very intensive; even when they’ve trimmed [elsewhere] for years, we retake them by way of your entire course of as a result of a variety of them have been conditioned to the ‘get in there and end as quick as you’ll be able to’ [in the trimming process]. The ‘We gotta get by way of 27 kilos of trimming as we speak or else’ technique.’ With the CAM method, our of us can take their time as a result of trimming is basically an artwork type.”
Willey elaborated on her firm’s trimming processes.
“The largest distinction at CAM is that we do our trimming on-stem, which permits for the least quantity of relating the buds,” she stated. “The bud truly stays on the stem, and never till the very finish of the trimming course of does the bud come off the stem. This fashion, there’s very minimal dealing with of the product. If you’re grabbing the bud, you’re disturbing the trichomes. You’re principally mauling the buds.”
Jamalian likewise emphasised the excessive precedence afforded to their trimming processes.
“We’re a 100% hand-trim outfit; no machines,” he stated. “I believe machines butcher the weed.”
However, he defined, not all trim jobs are the identical.
“As a result of we course of our flower into so many alternative merchandise, we trim accordingly; sugar trim and the little snippings from the buds you inevitably have, are known as ‘sugar trim,’ and we put these into our Fulton Fiver joints which price solely 5 bucks and are the most effective vendor in San Francisco,” he stated.
Jamalian disclosed that the issue of post-production work for any given pressure even performs a task in choosing genetics. Strains resembling Bitter Diesel and Lamb’s Bread are generally troublesome to trim.
“There are particular strains the place our trimmers come to work and so they hate it; after they have tiny little non-sugar leaves wedged between all of the calyxes,” he stated. “So when you may wish to develop that pressure (from a industrial perspective), you’re going to have an sad workers trimming it. I like Bitter Diesel, however it’s a troublesome trim. Lamb’s Bread can be not probably the most easy trim, however it’s value it.”
Correctly trimming hashish performs a vital function in preserving a product’s shelf-life.
“One other step that helps longevity is holding the flower on the stalk till it’s able to trim,” Nejedly stated. “The synergy of the plant on the stalk helps keep its freshness, which degrades quicker as soon as the buds are reduce from the stems.”
Dry Trim vs. Moist Trim
There are various colleges of thought in relation to trimming the buds when they’re recent off the plant or after the curing course of is full.
Willey and Nejedly agree that dry trim is finest. Nevertheless, Jamalian employs a two-stage technique of each moist and dry trimming.
“On the moist trim, or main trim, we prefer to take off all of the ‘water leaves’ or fan leaves, and we’ll go away on the sugar leaves; these are the medium-size leaves that also have a superb quantity of sugar or terpenes to them,” he stated. “For instance, Blue Dream doesn’t have a variety of sugar on the leaves, but the buds have been frosty and chunky and large, so you would truly do a main moist trim and take all of the leaves off after which dry the nugs and also you’re able to go. So Blue Dream affords a decrease price of post-production. Some vegetation, like people who have a pleasant purple leaf, I’ll in all probability go away these on throughout remedy. However water leaf takes away yield throughout processing, so we attempt to prep buds for processing with as little stem or water leaf as doable when it’s despatched to the trimmers for the secondary or dry trim.”
A Shut Shave Vs. Leaving the Leaf
Within the context of post-production, there’s some debate between using an in depth shave of the buds versus permitting extra fan leaves to stay.
“It’s a high quality steadiness. Basically, the patron doesn’t wish to see an excessive amount of leaf, however we additionally don’t wish to shave the bud,” Nejedly stated. “So it’s actually a manicuring course of that we practice our trimmers to be conscious of, and extra so pluck on the leaves and buds to manicure them, and never simply chop away at it.”
Sundown Join’s strategy is versatile.
“We’re pressure particular; the pressure will decide how a lot leaf to depart on it,” Jamalian stated. “You must decide the flower by the genetics; if there are smaller, denser buds, we like to depart a bit of little bit of fan leaf to cocoon and, in impact, remedy the buds very gently. However different strains the place you do have a variety of huge sugar leaves, we’ll take off each single fan leaf and let it remedy tremendous gradual to let the THC end ripening; form of like once you choose bananas, they preserve ripening. And so does THC; the resin glands are nonetheless producing.”
Willey was extra definitive.
“I don’t like an in depth shave as a result of I prefer to ensure that the bud construction is honored,” she stated. “Some strains may have a bit of foxtail (irregular bud form), however we attempt to honor the construction so that each bud doesn’t appear like a golf ball; that’s my private desire.”
Preserving Terpenes
It’s robust to speak about weed or wax lately with out a severe dialogue of “terps,” aka terpenes, the chemical compounds that give hashish strains their particular person signature alluring aromas and mouth-watering flavors. For post-production, preserving, and even enhancing, terps are important to crafting probably the most fascinating end-product.
Willey suggests in search of equilibrium.
“Should you dry it too quick or go away the buds hanging for too lengthy, you’re going to negatively have an effect on your terpenes, in addition to for those who remedy and retailer buds in too sizzling or humid of a spot,” she stated. Terpenes are identical to infants; delicacy is vital.”
Nejedly likewise emphasised the function temperature performs in sustaining terpenes by avoiding warmth.
“Terp preservation begins earlier than harvest,” he defined. “Rising indoors, we begin progressively lowering the sunshine depth about 20 days earlier than harvest to protect terps. Then as soon as the plant is harvested, it’s all about being cool and darkish to maintain these terps.”
It’s All In regards to the Humidity
All three professional growers agreed that sustaining the proper humidity is the primary problem to producing nice ganja. Every of them defined methods to fight the undesirable water vapor.
CAM makes use of the Quest 506 industrial humidifier to extract humidity from inside its develop rooms.
“Air conditioners additionally work effectively on getting the humidity out of the rooms, on the finish of harvest in addition to throughout post-production,” Willey stated.
Nejedly echoed his contemporaries’ emotions.
“Humidity is the most important issue in the course of the post-harvest course of,” he stated. “If humidity is excessive once you harvest and also you don’t use dehumidifiers and followers for airflow, the flowers will mildew and be ineffective. Dehumidifiers are a straightforward resolution available at any ironmongery shop or develop retailer. Temps ought to be underneath 70°F and ideally within the 55-60°F vary. Colder is best than hotter, and humidity you’ll be able to set at 50%, and for a slower remedy as much as 60%.”
Professional Recommendation for Residence Growers
The post-production course of could be simply as vital—if no more so—for the house grower than it’s for the large-scale industrial firm that may afford potential errors in drying, curing and/or trimming. However for a modest marijuana cultivator, the yield must be processed as completely as doable to make on a regular basis, effort, and cash expended worthwhile with an amazing finish product.
“When rising in a house, be sure you have a climate-controlled space in your drying course of; that you just’re not simply sticking it in a closet,” Willey suggested. “As a result of even for those who’ve carried out an amazing job rising the buds, if it’s not dried correctly, the end-user shouldn’t be going to have the ability to take pleasure in all of the terpenes that include correctly drying and curing the product. Improper processes also can trigger mildew and issues like that in case your rooms get too humid or too sizzling in the course of the dry/remedy course of, so you’ll be able to truly harm your end-product.
Willey suggested residence growers to make the most of glass jars to remedy on a small scale.
“I like to recommend curing in glass; it’s phenomenal for curing on a small scale,” she stated. “There are additionally some actually cool merchandise on the market, like these curing tubs the place you’ll be able to set the temperature and humidity. They’re not even that costly, and it’s an ideal method for a house grower to sort of use a few of that expertise of their restricted area.”
Nejedly supplied extra suggestions for the yard bud grower.
“Earlier than harvest, be sure you arrange a superb surroundings for the post-harvest course of,” he stated. “A closet works effectively; you need it darkish. A dehumidifier is completely essential in most environments. Set your dehumidifier to round 50% humidity, and get an oscillating fan within the area to get a slight breeze flowing throughout the vegetation. Hold it darkish and funky, which means underneath 70F. After per week, see if the stems snap, and in that case, on to trimming.”
Jamalian suggested residence growers to hold their harvest in a darkish closet with a tiny laptop fan or a clip-on fan operating.
“Hold the buds on the hanger and properly spaced so it has room to breathe and doesn’t mildew,” he suggested. “Verify on it incessantly to ensure it’s not creating any sort of dry rot. It’s all about environmental management; as soon as it’s trimmed and cured, 4 to five millimeter mylar luggage are actually good for trapping terpenes.”
Information is Energy
Inside the popular processes of pot post-production are particular approaches that give every hashish firm–and by extension, each juicy bud, jaunty joint, and depraved wax produced–its personal distinct stamp of high quality. With so many post-harvest strategies to follow and with so many different outcomes to think about, studying extra about what goes into hashish manufacturing after the harvest solely serves to strengthen one’s appreciation for high-quality industrial hashish merchandise.
Learn the complete concern right here.