Beasters is a class of indoor Canadian commercial product; by many accounts the strain is M39, which is said to be very good when grown properly and allowed 9 weeks to finish rather than the 6-7 that the growers (said to be predominantly Vietnamese gangs... I'm not there though, don't know for sure, lol) allow it to finish. It is also known to be kiefed off before sale so that there's a side-product of hash, and the buds are left with little to no crystally appearance on their outer surfaces.

Jim, how do you determine when it is time to harvest? Can you show pics of a plant that you believe is ready to chop by your previous standards?

HArshness comes from excess chlorophyll in the plant. The pigment will burn your throat when smoked. It's harsh. You MUST withhold Nitrogen during flower, ESPECIALLY after the first week or 2. A ripe plant will be going through its Nitrogen stores and unable to produce much fresh chlorophyll.