The Art of Homegrown Drying and Curing

The final chapter in the long season of homegrown cannabis farming is upon us as Croptober has come and gone. The luscious flowers in all their glory have been cut down and the question

is “now what?!” It’s time for a lesson in drying and curing. This is one of many methods but it is the one used by CPPNW.

To insure that the cultivated medicine reaches its potential, it has to be harvested at maturity and hung to dry.

The idea of both drying and curing is to remove the moisture and preserve the

cannabinoids and terpenes to produce a clean and powerful smoke.

Commercial cannabis companies try a 55 degree at 55 percent humidity but that doesn’t always work for the homegrown. Due to the volume of flowers, there is a drying shed that is used that has these components: it is dark, waterproof and has power to run a dehumidifier and a fan.

The plants which are 10-12 feet tall are broken down into manageable pieces of stalk and flower while most of the fan leaves are removed. There is no wet trimming done as it degrades the final product from experience. They are then hung on clothes hangers and transported into the shed where they are hung from the ceiling in rows to maximize the space.

Any excess plants that cannot be hung from the roof still are put on hangers that go on tomato cages on the shed floor. The fan is set to low and has indirect movement in the shed and the dehumidifier is set on high to collect moisture especially during the first few days. Drying helps to cut down on molds/ mildew/ pathogens that are present especially in outdoor plants.

Emptying the dehumidifier is a daily routine and well as checking on the drying process of the flower. They are ready to be trimmed when the stalks will break when bending them usually about 7-10 days post harvest. The flowers are transferred from the shed and broken down off of the main stalks and placed into cardboard boxes to keep the flowers intact and moisture at bay.

The trimming process is called a loose farm style cut as leaves are removed but any trichromes small sugar leaves are retained to further protect the buds. All leaves will be saved at this pining for making other products. Entire plants will get processed in the trimming and go back in the box until there are several ready to be destalked and jarred for the final frontier: the cure.

Curing cannabis is a subtle process to remove the last bit of moisture from inside the flower and the chlorophyll remaining and preserving the flavors, aromas and medicinal properties. This is done after the dried and trimmed flower is destalked and placed into glass jars to be sealed up and burped daily as the flowers continue to degass.

The jars need to be kept in a cool dark place unless burping for at least a couple of weeks and up to a year. The flowers will change in aroma and hue as the chlorophyll dissipates and

smoking it will be pleasant without throat harshness or the taste of hay. Once this state of

drying/ curing happens in the month after harvest the finished product can be enjoyed

throughout the rest of the year.

Happy harvest of your homegrown medicine.