I have been very successful when I follow the Master Wu recipe, but have also had dissapointing results when I tried to take shortcuts.
1)Dry the weed first, you seem to be on top of that now
2) Use a thermometer to keep track of the temp in your solution, set a timer to go off in 20 minutes and stay in the kitchen with your cooking.

As for the sit and wait method that has never failed me, it just is not as convenient as the Master Wu technique. My preferred method is to put the dried weed into a tincture bottle that I get at the local health food store for $2. Fill to the top with alcohol and store in a dark place for 4-8 weeks. I shake it on occasion but have found that with enough time everything takes care of itself. Once I think the tincture is ready I leave the weed in the bottle. You will gets a few small flecks of herb in the eyedropper but not enough to cause any problems (like salad in your teeth) and who knows the longer it soaks the more potential you have to extract more thc.