if we’re talking about the importance of curing cannabis, then let’s be blunt: it’s a big deal! Proper curing can enhance the aroma, flavor, and potency of the buds, making for a more enjoyable smoking experience. Plus, it helps preserve the freshness and quality of the cannabis, so you can enjoy it for longer.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to cure marijuana the right way and why it’s an essential part of the curing process. Let’s all raise a joint to curing!
Burping weed in jars
“Burping” and “curing” cannabis nugs is an essential part of the curing process. Even after drying your flowers, they will continue to lose moisture and become saturated with carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a heavier gas than oxygen which means it will sink to the bottom of the jar. This changes the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen which causes nuggets to heat up differently than just desiccation. Burping weed allows moisture and carbon dioxide to exit from the jar, leaving your buds dryer and tastier!
Burping is opening the jars, releasing the air and then re-sealing the jar. This allows the buds to breathe in more fresh air, essentially removing excess moisture or CO₂ from the curing process. It’s recommended that you burp your bud a few times a day during the curing process as this will ensure your buds cure properly, mould-free.
The process of burping is essential to ensure the cannabis (or other product) maintains its quality. This means a fresh or new batch of cannabis requires ‘burping’ for the first couple of days during curing. Most growers recommend doing this at least once, during peak resin production, and then every few days.
Large harvests may require multiple burping sessions over a week. Be careful to check your jar or container for leaks as it heals and seals in the air pressure. Tight-seal bags cause even more pressure build-up when burped.
Is curing weed necessary?
The effects of curing cannabis make the difference between an ordinary product and a great one! Cannabis contains various byproducts during the drying process, including sugar, amino acids, and chlorophyll. Curing degrades those byproducts to create smooth, tasty smoke. Without curing, the harshness of your buds will be noticeable, causing you to cough or feel anxious.
Prolonged curing will also produce more of the terpenes that give cannabis its flavour and smell. Cannabis can be dried and smoked fresh, but the same flavours that make it an aromatic pleasure don’t always survive. The delicate terpenes – responsible for those lovely aromas – are volatile compounds that degrade quickly under high heat. If you want to maximize the flavour potential of your bud, dry your zips, then gradually cure them with gentle heat.
Curing your cannabis is essential to good taste, but it can also improve the high. Cannabis is filled with THC, which degrades into CBN over time. Due to the presence of CBN, you could experience a different effect, even if the cannabidiol is less psychoactive.
To some up, learning how to cure marijuana is an essential part of producing great quality weed. When done correctly, it can triple or even quadruple the shelf life of your harvest. Cured weed is smoother, stronger, and tastier than fresh bud and often last up to 2 years.
How to cure marijuana – Step by step guide
The snap and pop of great cannabis buds is a piece of music to any weed lover’s ears. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know how to cure their harvest correctly. Curing is an essential part of any grower’s arsenal, as it significantly minimizes the chances of mould growing on your precious stash.
There are plenty of different ways to cure cannabis, with several methods varying depending on grower preferences, equipment available and skill level. For growers who also want to maximize the amount of THC in their harvest, proper curing is an essential process.
If you want to cure your weed naturally, all you need is an airtight jar that will control the environment inside. But take some care to control the temperature of your curing buds as airtight glass jars can cause moisture build-up that will result in mould.
The next step during the curing process would be to make sure that your buds are less wet. Allow your stash to absorb moisture but not too much! The process of curing cannabis is essential to produce a bud that will please taste pallets. To meet the goal, here are some steps you need to follow.
Step 1 – Trimming your bud
To cure cannabis, it is necessary first to prepare the flowers. Remember, the stalks are no good (otherwise, you wouldn’t have dried them). So you need to trim the buds, cut off the sugar leaves (and soak them separately), and then separate each dried part into smaller pieces. Check if you are cutting the right flowers again using a magnifying glass. Ensure that you remove all the foreign objects from your buds by rechecking it under a magnifier.
Step 2 – Drying your bud
The most crucial step when curing weed is to choose containers or jars with an airtight seal. If you have some mason jars handy, go for them because you can easily monitor the entire process. Fill around 75% of the space allotted for the buds and do your best to follow the instruction mentioned above. Remember that it is essential that you provide air throughout the entire process of curing. This can be achieved by a slight opening of the lid of your jar, this is known as burping.
The buds must be completely dry before you attempt to cure them. If they are still a little damp, stick them in the jar and let them sit for another day or two. It is essential to shake the jar at least twice a day for 3-4 days. Shaking the buds encourages density and allows them to cure evenly. Buds should be completely dry inside the jar after about a week and will produce a somewhat “oily” smell, which means that they are ready for storage.
Step 3 – Storing and curing cannabis
In this step of the curing process, you will need to store your weed in a cool dark place. This area should be temperature-controlled, as a fluctuation of between 19°C and 25°C will prevent mould from growing while not restricting circulation. The easiest way to dry out buds is by placing the jar in a room with low humidity. If you have a dehumidifier at home, feel free to use it to speed up this process!
Step 4 – Burping weed
Open the lids of all the jars every day for three weeks as you check the humidity levels. This is the part of the process that is known as ‘burping weed’ that lets out all of the excess moisture as you open the lid of the jar to keep the bud fresh and allow air circulation. After about three weeks, the buds should be dry. The buds should feel light when handled and have a sticky resin coating all of the leaves. There is no need to check on the humidity levels during this time as a completely dry bud will not be affected by any level of humidity.
If you don’t wish to wait months, drying and curing weed for about three weeks is good enough. However, you can still cure your buds for longer if you need the best results.
For optimal bud check your humidity? Use a hygrometer to measure the relative humidity of your curing cannabis. The RH level should be between 60 per cent and 65 per cent during the first week, decreasing each week until it reaches around 55 per cent. This process can take weeks, depending on the size of your buds and how many you’re curing.
How to cure marijuana the fast way
For the best results, you must know how long the weed curing process takes. If you want to accelerate it, simple store your buds underneath heat lamps. It will be ready in a couple of days but remember that the buds will crack and lose their form. Conversely, if you want them cured slowly, allow the humidity level to dissipate gradually. The buds will keep their form and be evenly cured in the process with only minimal cracking.
Curing weed is a very delicate process that requires checking the buds briefly every day. During that time, you have to make sure that they don’t get too much or too little moisture, as it can affect the taste and smell of your buds.
Curing is the final step in the harvest process. If you need to, take a step back and check out our article on how to harvest marijuana.
What elements should you avoid when curing cannabis?
Curing cannabis properly is essential. It may seem like an easy process, but it’s different for each strain of cannabis. By avoiding these elements, you can start enjoying the sweet and memorable taste that accompanies quality bud.
Too high/low humidity
Too low humidity could cause the buds to dry out, and too much moisture could cause mould and other problems. Humidity is excellent when it comes to curing, but not too much or too little, please.
Exposure to light
THC is the primary psychoactive found in cannabis buds. When curing weed, use an opaque container to protect the THC potency during the curing process.
Too little airflow
The goal of curing is to preserve the natural goodness and flavours of your cannabis harvest. That’s why proper airflow is so crucial.
Too much heat
High temperatures can also degrade other cannabinoids and terpenes and destroy waxes that contain all of the smell/taste/bind ingredients.
