DIY Cure Box/Humidor/Storage

[printer]

I had a thought (OMG I better write it down, only get one a week!). I am in the process of building a camping trailer and am using foam construction, with some added structure. I was thinking of the lid of a chest freezer, no need for it to be the limiting factor. If you have the space above it not doing anything you could extend it upward with home insulating foam, maybe wardrobe size. And have either a door that hinges up or down or a pair of doors that open toward the sides. The foam is stuck together with Gorilla Glue or Great Stuff foam, you spray it on, wait until if more or less finishes expanding and then squeeze together the joint. bamboo skewers are used to line up and duct tape hold the foam together until they are set. People make kyaks, set backdrops, all kinds of stuff using the foam (I carved a big half globe for the artist in the family who mosaiced over it with mirror squares to be a mirror ball on the side of a building).

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers • View topic - A Foamie for one

Have a couple of rods across the top and you could hang the plants down. If you felt like it you could cover the foam over with paneling or any other material, even wallpaper.

Just to add, the greater volume will not be a problem for the freezer to cool, it might even appreciate doing a little more work.

 

[Zaphod420]

printer that is pretty damn brilly... You could simply pop off your chest freezer lid and then replace it with whatever size mildly insulated DIY dry box you wanted. This would pretty much double the size of your drying space and once you were done simply take off your box and then put your lid back on. In and out access is then a breeze because you can do it all on your DIY box and leave the freezer alone entirely.

 

[wierdly]

I saw somthing on some weed site that reccomended doing somthing as simple as triming up the buds and putting them in paper bags in the produce bin in the fridge. He said to open the lttle slider to regulate the humidity to around 57- 60%. Wet trim the buds and roll up loosely in brown paper bags. this just slows down the drying process and keeps the terps in the flower to get it dry enough to put in jars. I think he said after about a week the humidity would drop to around 47%. Then put in jars and burp like 2 times a day for 1st 3 days and then 1 time a day for three days. Then leave sealed for like two weeks. Worth a try...

 

[H.A.F.]

I saw somthing on some weed site that reccomended doing somthing as simple as triming up the buds and putting them in paper bags in the produce bin in the fridge. He said to open the lttle slider to regulate the humidity to around 57- 60%. Wet trim the buds and roll up loosely in brown paper bags. this just slows down the drying process and keeps the terps in the flower to get it dry enough to put in jars. I think he said after about a week the humidity would drop to around 47%. Then put in jars and burp like 2 times a day for 1st 3 days and then 1 time a day for three days. Then leave sealed for like two weeks. Worth a try...

There are refridgerators now that have humidity controlled crispers. Not sure how accurate they are, but the best option might just be to wait until you need a new fridge, then get one with that

 

[Zaphod420]

I saw somthing on some weed site that reccomended doing somthing as simple as triming up the buds and putting them in paper bags in the produce bin in the fridge. He said to open the lttle slider to regulate the humidity to around 57- 60%. Wet trim the buds and roll up loosely in brown paper bags. this just slows down the drying process and keeps the terps in the flower to get it dry enough to put in jars. I think he said after about a week the humidity would drop to around 47%. Then put in jars and burp like 2 times a day for 1st 3 days and then 1 time a day for three days. Then leave sealed for like two weeks. Worth a try...

That is too easy not to try... I have a new trackable hydrometer on the way and once I get it I will put it inside a Braums paper bag and pop it inside the crisper drawer for 1 week and see what temp and humidity range it provides. The only thing that kinda scares me about this method is not having a fan with constant air flow down there but hell maybe it's not needed as long as the humidity goes one way and that is down.

 

[printer]

I replied to the hydro thread on mold and I thought I was on this one. The answer I had was not relevant for it but I think the information would be for this thread. So here is some food for thought.


The higher the temperature the faster the mold spores develop, just like our plants, until you get outside the mold's temperature range. While the paper is about mold on rice, the two varieties of mold are the most common ones that grow on marijuana after harvest. The temperature of a walk in incubator used in the hospital I worked at had the plates they grew their samples on at about 30 C (going by memory) but I can't remember the humidity. I really should as I was always the one who had to service it.

Effect of Temperature and Relative Humidity on Growth of Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. and Biocontrol Activity of Pseudomonas protegens AS15 against Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus in Stored Rice Grains

"Populations of all the tested fungi in inoculated rice grains were significantly enhanced by both increased temperature and RH. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that one unit increase of temperature resulted in greater effects than that of RH on fungal populations."

Effect of Temperature and Relative Humidity on Growth of Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. and Biocontrol Activity of Pseudomonas protegens AS15 against Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus in Stored Rice Grains - PMC

In this study, we evaluated the effect of different temperatures (10, 20, 30, and 40 °C) and relative humidities (RHs; 12, 44, 76, and 98%) on populations of predominant grain fungi (Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

There is a group of charts that show a great increase of mold development at 76% RH and above as compared to 44%, the increase in temperature between 20 C and 30 C show about double the count at 30 C.

Figure - PMC

In this study, we evaluated the effect of different temperatures (10, 20, 30, and 40 °C) and relative humidities (RHs; 12, 44, 76, and 98%) on populations of predominant grain fungi (Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Here is a paper on marijuana that is relevant, mold at the bottom of page 6.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339509719_Scientific_Prospects_for_Cannabis-Microbiome_Research_to_Ensure_Quality_and_Safety_of_Products

Another two, I have not read them for a while though.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333818028_Cannabis_Indoor_Growing_Conditions_Management_Practices_and_Post-Harvest_Treatment_A_Review

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342217337_The_diverse_mycoflora_present_on_dried_cannabis_Cannabis_sativa_L_marijuana_inflorescences_in_commercial_production

I think they might be a little hard to digest in one sitting but I think they should be of interest to all here. As far as 65%, I would be fine with it as long as the sensors and controls of the equipment are accurate, Humidity sensors are notoriously inaccurate, within 5% is normal, 10% is not unusual. Then if you think inside the bud the humidity is higher than on the exterior, especially with large buds, I can see how some run into problems.

 

[H.A.F.]

Penicillium

Cool - makes it even more medicinal

 

[Not Given]

I hope I don't have another mold problem ever.
Here is a noob question, I dried my adubb animal cookies and put it in a jar, just got 1oz 18g. But on the first burp the buds are all stuck together. I put a budlet in my grinder and it gummed up and clogged in the teeth.
I let the bud air but they still sticky, do I need to dry even more before jarring or just cure more? I could roll and smoke it but it is just sticky.

 

[Not Given]

I'm going to complain to the management, I got defective seeds, the flower has too many trichomes.
Did I mention it smokes fine

 

[wierdly]

I hope I don't have another mold problem ever.
Here is a noob question, I dried my adubb animal cookies and put it in a jar, just got 1oz 18g. But on the first burp the buds are all stuck together. I put a budlet in my grinder and it gummed up and clogged in the teeth.
I let the bud air but they still sticky, do I need to dry even more before jarring or just cure more? I could roll and smoke it but it is just sticky.

usually if they are sticking together I will take them out and seperate them let them get some air and put them back in. They should be sticky if its good weed but not sticking to each other in the jar. I got some of those mini hygrometers from amazon to put in my jars. You can put one in the bottom and one in the top of the weed jar. Now you can see whats going on in there. i see when i cure properly "get lucky". They stay really close to the same humidity. 59- 62% even after opening several times. If I jar too early It will spike up after a couple of days. I burp it or dump it on parchment if its clumped together. If i over dry it stays too low unless I put In a humidity pack. the humidity pack helps but it always has that green homegrown flavor. The cured weed has a sweet smell and taste like it smells.

 

[H.A.F.]

I store my burping jars on the side. If I roll the jar over and they are clumped up, I give it a gentle shake. If they separate I just burp. If they stay stuck I roll it out like @wierdly said. I have had some that just felt moist after the first burp and I just put it on a rack back in the drying room for a day.

 

[H.A.F.]

If your drying room is even close to being a good storage temp/rH, let it get dryer. If it goes a little below 62% and feels dry the rH packs will fix that in the jar.

 

[Zaphod420]

Question(s)... Let say one had a dark & perfect environmental control on the dry box he just placed freshly harvested colas and branches in.
1) What would you set your temperature and relative humidity to to achieve the best dry possible?
2) How many days would you want for your dry to taker? Is slower better?
3) What kind of air flow do you want inside the box during the dry? Low/med/high oscillating/direct/indirect.

 

[wierdly]

Question(s)... Let say one had a dark & perfect environmental control on the dry box he just placed freshly harvested colas and branches in.
1) What would you set your temperature and relative humidity to to achieve the best dry possible?
2) How many days would you want for your dry to taker? Is slower better?
3) What kind of air flow do you want inside the box during the dry? Low/med/high oscillating/direct/indirect.
View attachment 96611

65f/60% , two weeks, all the hipsters say 16 daysI do think slower is better, keepin consistant humidity,and just enough indirect air flow to move the air inside the box/room.

 

[H.A.F.]

@Zaphod420
I would want the temp as cool as I could get it while maintaining about 55-58% rH. At some point you cross a threshhold and it sweats.

Days would depend on the individual plant and how you hang it. Fat chunky buds or thin stalks with popcorn buds? Whole plant, limbs, or nugs on a tray? Pre-trimmed, fans removed, or chopped and hung?

I think a week is a good drying time, bt the longer the better. The main difference between that drying time and 'curing' time in the jar is airflow.

I use indirect air and it doesn't oscillate but that wouldn't hurt. In a small box it will circulate. It has to go somewhere.

As far as air'flow' I have about 30cfm being sucked out at the top continuously.

 

[H.A.F.]

Looking at my list, there are lots of things you can do to make a plant dry how you want. Any combination of leaf trimming and harvest methods (plants, limbs, or nugs) can be used to make it dry slower or quicker based on the plant.

Fat chunky buds I dig in and get all the leaves I can while they are green and flexible. In between nugs on a bud they can retain moisture the longest, especially strains with fat leaf stems. A lanky sativa-leaner I hang the whole plant, or the plant minus the big fan leaves.

 

[Zaphod420]

@Zaphod420
I would want the temp as cool as I could get it while maintaining about 55-58% rH. At some point you cross a threshhold and it sweats.

Days would depend on the individual plant and how you hang it. Fat chunky buds or thin stalks with popcorn buds? Whole plant, limbs, or nugs on a tray? Pre-trimmed, fans removed, or chopped and hung?

I think a week is a good drying time, bt the longer the better. The main difference between that drying time and 'curing' time in the jar is airflow.

I use indirect air and it doesn't oscillate but that wouldn't hurt. In a small box it will circulate. It has to go somewhere.

As far as air'flow' I have about 30cfm being sucked out at the top continuously.

Lets say you could do any of these methods and space is not an issue. What would be the preferred method to achieve the best dry possible?

 

[H.A.F.]

Lets say you could do any of these methods and space is not an issue. What would be the preferred method to achieve the best dry possible?

Again, it depends on the plant. The perfect dry is one where you can stick it in the jar and you aren't worried. Burping replaces fresh air in the jar, letting it hang longer in a perfect environment is better than the jar for several weeks. If the environment is not perfect then getting it in the jar lets you control that micro-climate in the jar. That's where the rH packs come in.

 

[H.A.F.]

I am by no means an expert. But I have been harvesting several plants a month for several years and have the dry/cure thing going continuously.
I have jars at my feet in burp-stage with a week or two to go, and plants a week or so from harvest.

 

[Zaphod420]

Again, it depends on the plant. The perfect dry is one where you can stick it in the jar and you aren't worried. Burping replaces fresh air in the jar, letting it hang longer in a perfect environment is better than the jar for several weeks. If the environment is not perfect then getting it in the jar lets you control that micro-climate in the jar. That's where the rH packs come in.

Gotcha, so adjust your harvest trim according to the type of plant you are harvesting. Fat & Chunky = Pretty aggressive. Sativa lanky = leave intact.
Thanks for all the great thoughts & info nuggets to everybody that has posted in this thread.