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So a friend of mine gave me some of the product of his first mmj grow. It's got the hay smell. I'm just wondering if that means I shouldn't use it. I smoked a bit of it a few days ago. It was middling to mediocre, but, you know, if I didn't have anything else. But is it bad to smoke for some reason? And if so, can I cook with it or something? I hate to throw away an ounce.
The smell could be due to several things. Check it over for signs of mold. Might just be that he rushed the cure. Keep an eye on the moisture content... if the stem is bending instead breaking, it might be too wet.
peace
Hay is usually caused by drying it too fast and/or not leaving enough moisture in it for it to actually cure.
Hay can also be a normal smell for cannabis, and is not considered desirable.
Hay smell has nothing to do with mold though so I wouldn't be worried just because of that.
I love the smell of hay, just sayin.
Whether the hay smell can be directly caused by mold or not, I still recommend that he watch for it and examine the inside of the buds for moisture. A rushed curing process can leave the bud too wet, which can quickly result in mold.
I had a few friends do this before I finished my first plants. With them is was a combination of things. First was drying to fast. Colorado is VERY dry, So a fresh cut bud can dry in a few hours in ambient humidity. So I set up a humidifier in a tiny room. After cutting I hang it in the room with 70% humidity for the first two days. Then I drop to 60% for a couple days. Then 54% for about a day. THEN I trim and jar just as the stem start to crack but not snap clean. (I jarred when they were snapping but it was TO dry).
Second thing they were doing was cheap nutes. Like General hydroponics or Miracle grow. (switching to a cannabis aimed nute line, helped more then they expected).
Third was NOT FLUSHING. You should water with nothing BUT water for the last 7-10 days before harvest, to flush out excessive nutrients.:thumbsup:
It's all perfectly safe to smoke (as smoking goes). Just not as pleasant!:thumbsup:
I would be almost 90% sure he rushed the cure.:thumbsup:
Yeah I'm thinking it was the curing. It was still kind of moist when I got it, definitely wetter than stuff I normally get. The smell has really calmed down since I first got it, so maybe it will fade.
Short course on curing in CO:
After trimming the bud, remove significant amount of surface moisture in the first day. We do this using a dry box with a small duct fan to gently move air across buds. Overnight or one day only. This is critical to prevent the risk of mold.
Move bud to a tray, mostly covered, to slowly pull moisture our from stems back to the surface. This is the part where you slow things down for a several days. We use black garden trays, turning daily.
When get to where the buds are getting close, we use tupperware tubs to seal and check humidity content with a digital meter. Open as needed to slowly work your way down to 55-58%.
Seal it up there and you are good forever. It will cure in the jar at that level without risk of mold. Dryer than that and it won't continue to cure. Too dry too fast is what happens in CO. After the first day, you work to slow down the drying.
Amazon.com: CALIBER III DIGITAL HYGROMETER 4 CIGAR HUMIDOR: Kitchen & Dining
We used to guess, but for $20 bucks you can know exactly where you are at.
Flush for a week to 10 days before harvesting. Hang them up for a month in a dark room - 65% humidity at between 65-70 degrees F.Quote:
Originally Posted by donniedorko
Your pot will smell like pot when it is trimmed and stored in curing jars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by puntacometa
1. Flushing is a myth, is detrimental to the plants health (you are starving it) and does nothing to change taste or smell.
2. Hanging your buds for a month will get you some nice bone dry shake.
Hanging for a month @ 65% will get you a large pile of moldy buds.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zedleppelin
If you are in Southern Colorado, I could show you how absolutely wrong you are.....if you are interested in finding out.Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCoMMJ
I am trimming buds that have been hanging in a curing area at 65% humidity since last August. They are sticky, no mold at all and they smell wonderful. Of course, fans have been in the room creating indirect air movement and it has been very carefully temperature and humidity controlled. It's not a set and forget situation. Like everything else relative to growing, it has to be carefully monitored.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zedleppelin
Interesting you should have this opinion. Have you ever actually tried this? I'm genuinely curious.
65 seems to be considered the edge of danger when talking about curing. If not carefully monitored, or if too warm, it could be dangerous. From what I've read 60% is the top of the true safe range, this isn't to say you aren't telling the 100% truth.
What temp are you holding at?
Temp and humidity vary a bit. No higher than 65% but I try to ride that level. Temp no higher than 70F, but it's usually a bit cooler, between 60-65F. Indirect air movement is absolutely essential at all times. I'm down in the 4 corners and it's very dry here most of the time so unanticipated overhumidity is usually not an issue. It can be though when bringing freshly cut product into the curing room. You've really got to watch what is happening closely. If you overcompensate and allow the bud to dry to the core quickly, you get hay. [/I]Venting this humidity out is necessary sometimes. A good hygrometer is also necessary at all times. I've tried a number of variations (and the methods posted here other than my own). This one has worked for me very consistently.Quote:
Originally Posted by copobo
We're trimming product that has been hanging since August/Sept/October when we harvested the last of our outdoor summer dirt grow. No mildew/mold. Lots of dank bouquet. I haven't had a grassy smelling or that obnoxious sweet/food grade smelling bud since I decided to quit hurrying my product to market by trimming it wet and/or drying it on screens. My product smells like pot.
Agreed. We run between 55% and 60%. If it's over 60% I'm kicking in the dehumidifier.Quote:
Originally Posted by copobo
I tend to be conservative when it comes to pushing the edges on things. There is no real benefit to chancing it with high humidity. I think that when things are done properly, our Meds smell like pot as well. :)
This thread has me thinking more deeply into the whole situation. Any way it's done, the whole process seems to take about a month to do correctly.
Personally I struggle to get my grow up to 40% humidity, so I could technically start drying in my grow? :wtf: (If there was a dark corner ;) )
Ambient humidity in my household is DRY!! DRY!!! DRY!!!! 15-25% I have a nook under the stairs where I hang buds on the stem with most of the "Sugar" leaves on them (fans with lots of trichomes)
The buds take about a week to "Dry" they're still wet down in the core, so we de-stem and jar for about 3 weeks.
We check in periodically, and either allow the jar to vent off excess humidity, or add a small humidity packet to help increase moisture content.
Some of our early buds smelled like dry grass or hay, but more recently they stink up the whole room as soon as you open the jar!!! :S5:
P.S.
I do the growing, since the wife can kill a spider plant.:(
The whole dry/cure thing is something the wife is working with, I try to just nudge her in the right direction and make her feel good about what she's doing.:hippy: