Does Curing Affect Potency? Find Out Here!

Baby food jars <3

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Originally Posted by KL4D4

Baby food jars <3

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OOO.... My best friend has a baby. You just made my night.

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Originally Posted by The Grim Reefer

Also as these metabolic process take place, the plant needs energy which leads it to consume the sugars, starches, nitrates, and minerals. Many of these compounds are metabolized and released as water and carbon dioxide, therefore removing what is essentially inert material from the pot increasing the concentration of cannabinoids therefore making it more potent.


...As pot ages, some of the terpenoids go through polycyclic aromatization in the process of decomposition.

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Let me start by saying a nicely cured bud, like the basic two week cure you get in an Amsterdam coffeeshop DOES make the bud taste and burn better, but...

I think you've seriously confused "metabolism" with "decomposition". Minerals certainly won't be metabolized, or released from the vegetable matter. Starches aren't going to be hydrolyzed without lots of water

So, a good cure makes the weed more potent just because other stuff is "released". Potency increases on a per weight scale?... that's like saying if I take the ice cube out of my scotch and water, the drink will get me more drunk.

About that "polycyclic aromatization"... NOT necessarily a "good thing", if it is indeed even true. Check a few health and medical articles on the wonders of PAHs. They're usually considered pollution, and are one of the reasons why burning carbon-based "stuff" is thought to be detrimental to one's health.

But in the end, I do agree that cured bud does taste better, and is more enjoyable to smoke, and better to buy, for lack of self-production.

thanks for the great info. and now I know how to cure the right way.

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Originally Posted by prairieplantsystems

I agree curing is useful for a better quality bud, increasing taste and appearance, but I have trouble finding all this info as credible without any sources, which it a recurring problem with many thing having to do with bud and its cultivation.

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As far as sources go, try Jorge Cervantes' and Greg Green's books for starters. Next do a side by side comparison between dried but uncured bud and bud cured 2-4 weeks from the same plant. It is a very noticable difference.

So when do we STOP curing? Or it just continues as our buds are stored in a dry and cool place to be used whenever

What I have found is that buds cured for approx 4-6 weeks are about as good as they get, but I still continue to keep them stored the same way (airtight container, cool dark place) until use. The only difference is that I do not have to 'burp' the containers regularly.

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Originally Posted by MVP

What I have found is that buds cured for approx 4-6 weeks are about as good as they get, but I still continue to keep them stored the same way (airtight container, cool dark place) until use. The only difference is that I do not have to 'burp' the containers regularly.

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Exactly the same as what i do, although i cure [burp] for about 3 months, then leave it completely after that. Your right, there isnt much differnce after the first kinda month, but i do find if you keep going for abit longer the taste develops abit more.

After curing, what is the best method of long-term storage? I always thought if the bud is dried properly, it will be safe to freeze. When it is in the freezer, it is fine to keep it in plastic baggies, since at freezing termperatures it makes no difference if the bud is in mason jars or plastic baggies. What do you say?

Freezing is no good. Refridge it.
With freezing, if there is any water left(which there is suppose to be 10-15% moisture), it will explode the inner cell walls as well as any trichomes which still contain some water.
Also, freezing makes the trichs very brittle and easy to break(meaning more damage during handling).
I use the refrigerator and it works great. Just use a light-tight container. Some people will swear against using plastic bags, claiming it robs flavor. I have never received herb in a mason jar so I assume that this plastic bag that my herbs been coming in for 10 yrs isn't taking anything away.
:jointsmile: Of course, I don't even know the first thing about "long term" storage, I smoke entirely too much weed. :jointsmile: