Curing in Mason Jars with Tyvek?

I have started another hobby that uses Tyvek. Tyvek is a plastic material that you can find everywhere. One of the most common places is Fedex. Their envelopes are made out of Tyvek. Tyvek is also a Vapor barrier used in houses and I think you can even get suits for painting or something made out of tyvek.

Anyway Tyvek allows for gas exchange while at the same time keeping out contaminants that would allow conditions for mold or other things to spawn. From what I understand Tyvek does not allow for fresh air exchange but will outgas things such as CO2 and whatever gas is made when the plants are breaking down chlorophyll. I am using this for my other hobby specifically for these properties.


Would it be beneficial to sterilize the jars; place the buds (properly dried) in the jar, and then place a tyvek filter over the mason jar with the ring and not the lid?

My thought is that this would allow the Jars to outgas whatever builds up in the jar; prevents fresh air from getting inside which will keep the buds at the proper moisture level and it will be a deterrent to mold. The best part of this; is that in theory, you would never have to open the jars unless you had some condensation building up on the glass. Due to the lack of fresh air coming into the jars you would also be helping to create an anaerobic environment to help break down chloryphyll faster/better.

Again this is all in theory. Does anyone have any experience with this or any input on the use of Tyvek in curing?

I don't have the slightest idea...but, it's good to see you back...daihashi...:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp

I don't have the slightest idea...but, it's good to see you back...daihashi...:thumbsup:

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lol.. I wish you had the slightest idea. And I'm back but definitely not an active member. The situation revolving around the forums from when I left previously has still left a bad taste in my mouth but I'm coming around.

Will probably never do another grow log again but it doesn't mean I can't talk and exchange ideas right? :hippy:

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Will probably never do another grow log again but it doesn't mean I can't talk and exchange ideas right? :hippy:

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an inch is as good, as a mile....:thumbsup:

Been trying to find more information on Tyvek

Tyvek - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Tyvek (pronounced /taɪˈvɛk/) is a brand of flashspun high-density polyethylene fibers, a synthetic material; the name is a registered trademark of DuPont. The material is very strong; it is difficult to tear but can easily be cut with scissors or any other sharp object. Water vapor can pass through Tyvek (highly breathable), but not liquid water, so the material lends itself to a variety of applications: medical packaging, envelopes, car covers, air and water intrusion barriers (housewrap) under house siding, labels, wristbands, mycology, and graphics. Tyvek is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Tyvex."

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I'm not sure how much water vapor passes through; reason being is that in addition to tyveks ability to create a sterile environment... I also use it to maintain high humidity levels; which would lead me to believe that it *shouldnt* lose too much moisture but was hoping that someone with a little more insight than me could help.

I'll definitely set aside a jar and try this if I can't get an answer.

i dont think its a good idea,i were a dupont tyvek suit for 12 hours a day and based on personal experience i would think if it did anything it would only cause problems if it would do anything beneficial i dubtful

Hi Daihashi,

I've used Tyvek for an addition to a house; it is suppose to let moist air escape out of any cracks of a house so there is no moisture or condensation trapped in the insulation. But at the same time not allow air infiltration to the building. Suppose to be breathable in one direction only, thats why the directions say to put it on the house logo side out.

I think you have a brilliant idea there! (sorry to disagree with you disrupt86)

It should allow for the escaping of of the outgasses....the only difference I see is this; when we burp the jars periodically we are not just releasing the outgasses but allowing fresh air back into the jar. I don't know how important that is tho, it certainly warrants an experiment.

Thanks for sharing that idea and I'm also glad to see you back around.

I think the Tyvek idea is a good one, makes a lot more sense, than a lot of 'ideas' I see here :D ... I wonder, though, if it might allow drying to occur TOO quickly ... it takes time for the chlorophyll to break down into gas, so I wonder if that may impede the process ... but, I'm no expert, and I smoke a LOT of marijuana, so, be careful with my advice :jointsmile:

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Originally Posted by disrupt86

i dont think its a good idea,i were a dupont tyvek suit for 12 hours a day and based on personal experience i would think if it did anything it would only cause problems if it would do anything beneficial i dubtful

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What are your concerns?

From a human point of view they are very very hot. They don't breath as well as I'd like them to; but luckily for me the jars are not people.

What exactly do you think would cause problems? Tyvek by nature was designed to be a gas exchanger as well as a water barrier. What is your experience with tyvek aside from wearing a suit? How well do you actually understand it and in what applications have you used it aside from wearing a suit.

I'm not looking to wear it; I'm looking for a more efficient way to allow the jars gas exchange without letting excess moisture out.

I will most likely do a side by side comparison of 2 jelly jars. I'll put bud in both of them and cover one with the metal band and tyvek, and then the other I'll cure the old fashioned way and report back. I've asked this question on several boards now and no one seems to know.

Tyvek is pretty popular for use among mycologists for several of the properties I've listed in this thread.

Anyone else with input or followups?

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Originally Posted by the image reaper

I think the Tyvek idea is a good one, makes a lot more sense, than a lot of 'ideas' I see here :D ... I wonder, though, if it might allow drying to occur TOO quickly ... it takes time for the chlorophyll to break down into gas, so I wonder if that may impede the process ... but, I'm no expert, and I smoke a LOT of marijuana, so, be careful with my advice :jointsmile:

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Well of course it makes sense; I said it didn't I? lol jkjk.. but I know what you mean about 'ideas'. When I was active on this board I read a million "ideas" that I just rolled my eyes at and a handful that I actually gave a nod to.

I'm really concerned about 1 of 2 things and they are really just 2 sides of the same coin:

1. It will dry too fast (although seeing as how it maintains moistures in these jars I'm inoculating; I don't think this will be an issue)

2. It won't allow for enough gas exchange and will allow condensation to build up. (if this happens this renders tyvek useless for me but I can still save that jar by just reverting to the traditional method.

looks like an experiment is in order. I have a harvest coming up in 4 weeks so we will see.

I think this might work to a degree... but keeping in mind that the tyvek material is meant to breath in one direction only - the only way gases will escape the jar is if the air pressure inside the jar increases as the chlorophyll breaks down. I;m not sure if it would or not... it should marginally, but I;m not sure if it would be enough to really make a difference.

But basically you need that air pressure increase to push the gas through the Tyvek, just because it 'can' pass through the Tyvek, doesn;t mean it 'will' ;) If air pressure inside the jar is equal to the air pressure outside the jar and there is no way for fresh air to enter the container, then the gas will not be able to escape the jar. The outside air pressure will basically hold it in.

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Originally Posted by syde00

I think this might work to a degree... but keeping in mind that the tyvek material is meant to breath in one direction only - the only way gases will escape the jar is if the air pressure inside the jar increases as the chlorophyll breaks down. I;m not sure if it would or not... it should marginally, but I;m not sure if it would be enough to really make a difference.

But basically you need that air pressure increase to push the gas through the Tyvek, just because it 'can' pass through the Tyvek, doesn;t mean it 'will' ;) If air pressure inside the jar is equal to the air pressure outside the jar and there is no way for fresh air to enter the container, then the gas will not be able to escape the jar. The outside air pressure will basically hold it in.

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I'm confident when I say that the gas exchange does not work the way you describe. At least not when involving a glass jar and a room. Oddly enough though what you described mimics how high pressure weather systems work (kind of).

Tyvek does not need air pressure to push gas through anything. Your house is covered by insulation, brick, siding, mortar, wood frame etc etc.. more importantly your entire house is wrapped in a layer of.... TYVEK. Your house is not perfectly sealed nor is there 'forced' air pushing against it since it's beneath several layers of your houses exterior.

Gases will rise and fall based on their density; ie co2 is much more dense than oxygen and thus will actually settle on the bottom of a contained area rather than rise. Water vapor on the other hand rises.. and with water vapor chlorophyll will leave plant material also.

The differences in pressure have nothing to do with exchanging gas. If what you said were true then everyone who just simply took the lids off their jars for 30 minutes twice a day would be smoking some shitty non potent bud.

Pressure differences would actually most likely result in damaging the jar. Have you ever put a mason jar in a pot of hot/simmeringwater only to have the bottom glass part come apart from underneath it when you pull the jar out of the hot/simmering water? Contrary to what people might believe the reason the jar breaks is because you are introducing a difference in pressure. Inside the pot of water the pressure is equalized on the outside and the inside; allowing for the jar to remain safe. However when you pull it out of the water you create an instantaneous difference in pressure from the outside. The pressure in the jar is much greater from being heated and the pressure of ambient air is far less causing the glass to push itself out from the inside out. The breaking of the jar has nothing to do with temps.

Only trial and error will see but I am certain it does not work the way you claim.

Thanks though, appreciate the effort.

ps: I went through great effort to clean up my post to not seem derrogatory. If it seemed that way then I apologize. I am not talking down to you; I am just blunt and it often comes across to people that way.

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Originally Posted by daihashi

The breaking of the jar has nothing to do with temps.

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aren't the temps responsible for the difference in pressure?

is your new hobby mycology? that's a pretty interesting hobby.

if so, isn't gas exchange necessary in mycology? won't stale air cause your cake to be slow colonizing or not to colonize at all? the tyvek is just used to keep the moisture out of your cakes while your pressure cook them. so the moisture content of the cake isn't messed with. (it's been a while since i read up on this stuff!)

-shake

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Originally Posted by headshake

aren't the temps responsible for the difference in pressure?

-shake

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Well yes; obviously. But the breaking is not due to the temps directly; it's due to the pressure difference. The temps created an increase in pressure. You could recreate the exact same situation without heat in a lab setting but I thought I would cite a real life situation a few of us may be familiar with instead.

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is your new hobby mycology? that's a pretty interesting hobby.

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Indeed it is my new hobby. It's pretty interesting and it's sort've like instant gratification. Mushrooms of all kinds seem to grow very quickly and it's fun to watch.

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if so, isn't gas exchange necessary in mycology? won't stale air cause your cake to be slow colonizing or not to colonize at all? the tyvek is just used to keep the moisture out of your cakes while your pressure cook them. so the moisture content of the cake isn't messed with. (it's been a while since i read up on this stuff!)

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yes and no.

Gas exchange speeds up the colonization of the spawn subtrate. Mycelium are like humans; they breath Oxygen and release CO2. CO2 inhibits the growth of Mycelium but it will still grow at an extreme crawl. Think of trying to grow cannabis in a tent with temps that are 95 degrees.

This is all relative to just Mycelium and not the actual technique used to create them. What you described is BRF Cake or a PFtek Cake. In those situations there is not really gas exchange to speak of because you pack the entire jar full of vermuculite and brown rice flour. However just because that is the technique does not mean it has anything to do with the mycelium growth process.

Many experienced mycology hobbyists will spawn to grain instead of BRF. The reason being is that 1 it colonizes faster (due to the gas exchange through the tyvek filter and because the mycelium can move around freely to spread faster) which allows less time for contamination in your substrate.

Here is what Tyvek is used for in Mycology:

*Keeps environment free of contaminants.
*Allows for gas exchange.
*Does not freely allow air into the environment
*helps to retain humidity levels.

It is also important to note that for the most part tyvek is only used to innoculate grains when they are in their jars. Once you put them into fruiting chamber your ventilation holes will be covered with polyfill instead of tyvek. Reason being is that polyfill keeps out contaminants/spores/etc etc... allows for gas exchange, helps retain humidity levels but most importantly allows fresh air in; unlike Tyvek.

I don't want to post links but if you do a search for tyvek and gas exchange you're sure to come up with some hits that will give you more insight into tyvek and I guess mycology (they seem closely linked).

Polyfill wouldn't work well for curing cannabis but Tyvek would be nice since it helps keep air out while allowing gas exchange.

I was milling around and stumbled on your thread. Tyvek (pronounced /taɪˈvɛk/) is a brand of flashspun high-density polyethylene fibers.... the gas that is created when the plant matter is decomposing and curing and stuff is ethylene gas I think, would the ethylene gas react with polyethylene fibers in some way? maybe bond to it or something...

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Originally Posted by daihashi

lol.. I wish you had the slightest idea. And I'm back but definitely not an active member. The situation revolving around the forums from when I left previously has still left a bad taste in my mouth but I'm coming around.

Will probably never do another grow log again but it doesn't mean I can't talk and exchange ideas right? :hippy:

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what happened? should i not do a grow log?

sorry i dont know anything about the Tyvek and sorry for getting off topic

Interesting idea, but what's wrong with curing in a glass jar the traditional way? Been working for generations just fine. I guess a few side-by-side's are the best way to assess the theory. :thumbsup:

Depending on the porosity of the Tyvek, and it's intended application...if the gas vapors can escape, I'd think the water vapors could, too. Would this dry the buds rather than cure them?

If the theory is that this keeps the moisture in, but gas escapes...I don't see a benefit to having to dick with the Tyvek, rather than opening the jars a couple of times a day. If not removing the humidity in the jar daily, you risk a very quick case of mold. And having to physically open the jars gives you an opportunity to inspect the buds anyway.

By the way...those Debbie Meyers green bags are an interesting concept too. (according to my wife, who bought some) Problem is...they don't work either in the fridge, or on the counter. But they are easier to spot in the fridge, lol. :jointsmile:

Everytime a person turns on a heater or ac unit in their home it causes positive pressure to build in the home. In the case of heat the moisture builds in the wall cavity as well as cold air returns. So Yes, there can be pressure pushing the moisture out. More accurately the + pressure pushes the air which condenses moisture on the cooler tyvek which usually wicks the moisture out. I have seen a super tight exterior paint job trap the moisture between the outer wall and the sub siding wrap. Tyvek becomes a rot assistant in that case.

As to the original question....I don't know. :D Have you thought about just trying it? What about Gore-Tec or whatever that shoe material is?

somebody that has a harvest coming up, try it and let us know how it works out.
:thumbsup: