Harvest & Curing Help with Dry/Cure

[Aku]

Completely bummed! For the life of me.... I tried drying slow-fast, tried a paper bag, its been in a jar with and without Boveda packs for weeks at a time. No smell other than faint hay/grassy tones. It seems it dries superfast even though the RH is being triple monitored at between 40 and 55%. If I leave something out for 2 days its crisp. Maybe not dry through but the outside is crispy to the touch.
My latest attempts have been a slowish dry in a paper towel or TP tube, closed loosely on ends for 2 days. Next it goes into an all but airtight medicine bottle. This brings the inside moisture to the outside and it gets softish and feels wet again. I burp it a few times a day. Up to now this has been successful but I have yet to jar this up and get it into a smokable state. Hopefully it retains the good smell and it even develops better in the jar.
My last few attemps have resulted in about a half zip being all but tasteless and its killing me because done right certainly these genetics have wonderful aromas. If these latest harvested nugs don't come out right I feel I'm doomed. I dunno what else to try.
All pertinent info I can think of:
drying space is basement about 65-70 degrees F. 40-55% RH. Some air movement but no ceiling fans. It dries fast, too fast left out or on a line hanging.

 

[Trapper]

I use a big cardboard box with wire hanger cross members...enclosed, but not to tightly, some air movement but the moisture in the buds can effect the RH in the box (as opposed to just hanging in a tent or out in the open.) Crispiness on the outside, I think, is always going to happen, more access to air then the cores. For me, it's a judgment call...if they are super dense, I'll ere towards more crispiness because I know there's still a fair amount of moisture in there. If they are a little fluffier, I'll jar sooner.

Rome wasn't built in a day...hang in there

 

[AKNorthernlights]

I use the thick big grocery paper bags, and only line the bottom with buds, and fold over the top

Flip the buds morning and night until ready for the jar.

I use the big half gallon jars and only fill half full and leave the lids off it for a few days as it slow drys. You have to shake the jars gently to mix up the buds and burp 3-4 times a day until 65 % add a Boveda 62% and burp daily for another week should smell and taste good if it was good tasty bud to begin with.

 

[briman]

I use a drying cabinet, but the paper bag method is bullet proof, along with the cardboard box method. If it smells like grass or hay, it has probably dried too fast and the inside is still wet.

40-55% RH is way too low! Once the RH hits around 60ish, it will not cure. All you will have is dried bud and the whole curing process stops.

 

[Aku]

I use a drying cabinet, but the paper bag method is bullet proof, along with the cardboard box method. If it smells like grass or hay, it has probably dried too fast and the inside is still wet.

40-55% RH is way too low! Once the RH hits around 60ish, it will not cure. All you will have is dried bud and the whole curing process stops.

Its my space, the room I am drying in which is 40-55% RH. It could very well be that it dried too quickly and too much. If it is true that it will not cure below 60%, that could very well be the issue. I have some recently harvested nugs that have not reached that level as yet, they will be jarred soon. I am going to test the RH by putting them in a paper bag with the accu-rite hygrometer tonight. If they are 65% or close they are going into jars immed. Hopefully this is the trick as the whole plant is just about ready to come down.

 

[Aku]

Unsure if it matters but I'm talking smaller amounts at a time (1/4 to 1/2 oz), also using smaller jars than I normally see in pictures of curing buds. They look normal but squashed short. I'm going to revisit a paper bag method thread if this latest batch of nugs doesn't turn out. Makes me curious about all that weed I bought over the years, how it was all finished off.

 

[Eekman]

I use the thick big grocery paper bags, and only line the bottom with buds, and fold over the top

Flip the buds morning and night until ready for the jar.

I use the big half gallon jars and only fill half full and leave the lids off it for a few days as it slow drys. You have to shake the jars gently to mix up the buds and burp 3-4 times a day until 65 % add a Boveda 62% and burp daily for another week should smell and taste good if it was good tasty bud to begin with.

No offense my friend, but the less oxygen in the jar the better as per Ed Rosenthal's cure method "Cure then Dry?" Fill er up but not too tightly, you still got to get the buds out carefully. So no shaking, the trichomes can break off your buds. Especially when dry. Use chop sticks or a fork, take it out once a day and let them dry a bit until you get into your RH range, until it will stay in that range when taken out of the jar. store it at room temp. or cooler, with minimal light for at least 4 weeks, but 8 will enhance your smell and flavor. I got some jars I harvested in November that are now just getting into Prime status.

My opinion

I use a drying cabinet, but the paper bag method is bullet proof, along with the cardboard box method. If it smells like grass or hay, it has probably dried too fast and the inside is still wet.

40-55% RH is way too low! Once the RH hits around 60ish, it will not cure. All you will have is dried bud and the whole curing process stops.

This is a stellar method Briman. Best method for small amounts. So you can use only the size of box you need.

 

[Aku]

So I jarred it up for fear of over drying it again. I put in a cheapo dial type hygrometer and she was at better then 80%. So obv. it needs to dry more. I just need to figure a way to slow down the process. I can try a paper bag, if I just hang it, it will dry too quickly. Anyone else have low humidity and have a way of slowing down the drying process?

 

[AKNorthernlights]

No offense my friend, but the less oxygen in the jar the better as per Ed Rosenthal's cure method "Cure then Dry?" Fill er up but not too tightly, you still got to get the buds out carefully. So no shaking, the trichomes can break off your buds. Especially when dry. Use chop sticks or a fork, take it out once a day and let them dry a bit until you get into your RH range, until it will stay in that range when taken out of the jar. store it at room temp. or cooler, with minimal light for at least 4 weeks, but 8 will enhance your smell and flavor. I got some jars I harvested in November that are now just getting into Prime status.

My opinion

You are correct of course, I forgot to mention this was my drying process with the half gallon jars,I do loose pack full jars for cure and storage.

 

[AKNorthernlights]

These lids work pretty good and can help keep a close eye on it while it dries.