A simple test you can do is to take one of your bigger buds and put it in a small jar or bag. Come back in an hour and if there is any moisture on the inside of the bag or the bud is suddenly damp to the touch, then you know it needs more drying time. If it's just a bit too wet to smoke, it needs another day.
You can tell they are ready when the outside of the buds feels dry to the touch. If you used the hanging method, it is ready when stems snap clean off versus bending or tearing. It is important to note that if your buds are dry sooner than 3 or 4 days, it means that they dried a little too fast.
When cannabis is dried too long or rapidly, it is primarily at the expense of the lighter, more delicate essential oils (terpenes). The lighter, most volatile terpenes have the lowest evaporation points and dissipate first during drying, before the water does.
Depending on the specific mass and profile of the flowers, the drying process generally takes three to four weeks. For both marijuana and hemp producers of smokable flower, the curing process is an important postharvest step that provides additional value in the quality of the resulting product.
Some growers choose to remove all fan leaves before hanging the branches to dry, while others leave some fan leaves on the branches. Leaving fan leaves on the branches can slow down the drying process.
Simple brown paper bags, like the kind you get from the bakery, are perfect for drying buds. Especially popcorn buds. If you place a handful or two of freshly manicured smaller nuggets into a paper bag and leave them to dry for 2–3 days your halfway there.
Ideally, a well-cured bud should bounce back like memory foam. When you bend the stems, do they snap cleanly? This is a sign of a good cure. If they are still pliable and bend, the bud is too moist.
Mold can also develop while your buds are being dried and cured. There are methods growers use to help prevent bud rot. Wait until after a dry spell before harvesting your plants. Outdoor plants should not be harvested if there has been any rain during the last three days.
Remove entire branches from your plants, trim the sugar leaves, and hang them upside down. In a bigger drying space, you can use a fan to keep air moving freely. Racks also work well when you need to dry large quantities of bud. Trim your flowers well, spread them out evenly, and place a hygrometer on each shelf.
If you cut the buds entirely off the stems, you'll have to use something like a drying rack to place the buds on to dry. If you leave a little stem, you can instead hang them from a line to dry.
Ideally, a well-cured bud should bounce back like memory foam. When you bend the stems, do they snap cleanly? This is a sign of a good cure. If they are still pliable and bend, the bud is too moist.
While technically not part of the curing process, the drying technique used can have a major impact on the curing that will follow and the overall quality of the finished product. An ideal drying environment for cannabis is a dark room between 60-68 F and 55-65% humidity with moderate indirect airflow.
The ideal drying room must be dark, as light can damage the THC in your buds. While it does not hurt to have a light source inside to check on the progress of your buds, you should keep it off most of the time, and block all other passages of light that can enter the room.
Keeping your clip-on fan running at 10% speed will create enough air movement to deter mold and mildew. Make sure to keep the light breeze away from your buds so they do not dry too fast.
Remove entire branches from your plants, trim the sugar leaves, and hang them upside down. In a bigger drying space, you can use a fan to keep air moving freely. Racks also work well when you need to dry large quantities of bud. Trim your flowers well, spread them out evenly, and place a hygrometer on each shelf.
Simple brown paper bags, like the kind you get from the bakery, are perfect for drying buds. Especially popcorn buds. If you place a handful or two of freshly manicured smaller nuggets into a paper bag and leave them to dry for 2–3 days your halfway there.
You should start off by cutting some of the larger fan leaves away but keep the smaller sugar leaves and other vegetation. This will help expose the buds. The sugar leaves protect the buds while they dry and can help to create an ideal moisture level.
If it's just a little too moist, putting the buds in a paper bag and then closing it for a few hours could do the trick. If they're a little more damp than that, rotate having the paper bag opened and closed every 8 hours or so until it crisps up to your standards.
More significantly, the fan leaf helps the plant develop the best buds possible. Much like most of the plant world, cannabis fan leaves are a key component of the photosynthesis process. This iconic fingered leaf is composed of the petiole, apex, ventral, and dorsal surface.
Mold can also develop while your buds are being dried and cured. There are methods growers use to help prevent bud rot. Wait until after a dry spell before harvesting your plants. Outdoor plants should not be harvested if there has been any rain during the last three days.
Slow drying prevents humidity from decreasing fast enough to stop mold from developing in the bud's interior. Second, air circulation; overcrowding dry rooms with plants raises humidity levels and causes plants to shade one another, creating a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
If you cut the buds entirely off the stems, you'll have to use something like a drying rack to place the buds on to dry. If you leave a little stem, you can instead hang them from a line to dry.
An ideal time to dry cannabis is around 5-7 days. However, the time it takes to reach the ideal dryness (explained below) will vary depending on your climate and drying location.
The most significant loss in weight occurred in 1–3 days of the drying process and weights plateaued after one week. Cannabis lost between 25 and 77% of its original weight stored at an average of 22.2 °C and 49% relative humidity.