So let me understand you correctly Jack.Sounds to me that there's a "possibility" at harvest that all the pistils wont be orangee/brown if your trichomes are amber right? But you just said yourself that browning pistils means its in the ripening stage not necessarily ripe. So wouldn't that mean that when the pistils are finished turning brown then its at the end of the ripening stage and now its ripe? Or Im I understanding this wrong? To be honest with ya....I think I cant go wrong if I went half amber trichomes and what new pistils I have....I have. I think that way I know Im somewhere in the middle and the smoke cant be all that bad.I truly believe that if you never grew a certain strain atleast once to know its characteristics,plus the fact that everyone wont grow the strain in the exact same conditions(lights,soil,nutes and so on)and what type "high" your after, they'll be having this discussion 1000yrs from now. I really appreciate you dudes input and trial & error is probably the best answer.And even that doesnt mean your grow is gonna act the same as the last. Peace :smokin: