I see you, man. Glancing from this screen to the freshly harvested Cannabis in the corner wondering if it’s ready to vape yet…
From my personal experience, I know it can be incredibly frustrating to have all that wet weed right there and not use it. Yet, we wait.
So, what is this madness? Can you vape it right now? Read on, and I will discuss more below. Also, I will provide some tried and tested tips to help you accelerate the drying process and get down to vaping sooner.
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Why Dry and Cure Weed For Vaping?
We all know that the marijuana plant has to be dried and cured before it can be smoked. Most people understand the ‘drying’ bit, but not the ‘curing’?. I, myself used to think they were both the same… sort of like ‘rock’ and ‘roll.’ Not quite.
Plants are amazing things. They absorb water and carbon dioxide, then release life-giving oxygen back into the atmosphere. In the case of the cannabis plant, the water content becomes a problem for users of the herb.
It interferes with the heating and burning processes respectively. Ultimately, drying is the answer to that problem so you get the most from your high.
Curing is slightly more complicated
Green plants get their color from a chemical called chlorophyll, which helps them make food (starch). However, both chlorophyll and starch taste like crap.
Fortunately, the chlorophyll and starch begin to break down once the plant
The less that remains, the better the taste. This gradual process is known as curing.
Drying and curing co-occur, and that is partly why the terms can get used interchangeably. Note that while almost all of the moisture will have dried within 3-5 days, the curing stage can take months.
The ideal duration for both stages depends on environmental conditions and the strain of the herb.
Recommended vape gear…
- Arizer Go Dry Herb Vape Review – Discreet with Power.
- VapeXhale Cloud Evo Herb & Concentrate Vape Review.
- Kannastor GR8TR V2 Grinder Review.
- Boundless Tera V3 Dual Battery Dry Herb Vape Review.
Vaping or Smoking Wet Marijuana
Some vapers theorize that moisture-heavy weed might not smoke well but, it does not interfere with the vaping process. On the surface, the idea does make some sense.
Smoking burns the herb directly, and the resulting fumes are a combination of everything it contains. The uncured cannabis is dripping not just with water but also chlorophyll and every chemical that went into fertilizing and nurturing it — basically, a very unappetizing cocktail for smoking.
A dry herb vaporizer, on the other hand, does not create a fire. It merely heats the buds to release the THC into the air, which we then inhale. Variable temperature control like you get on the Boundless Tera, gives you precise control over how this happens.
However, a vaporizer is precisely that, a vaporizer. It is not
Check out this custom Tardis enail from RCC Tools. No longer available unfortunately.
Without curing, undesirable elements like chlorophyll and other chemicals have not had the time to dissipate. Heating will release traces of them into the vapor. The result is a cloud of THC contaminated with things that you really don’t want to inhale.
As well as the acrid, grassy taste and smell p
What Should I Do Next?
By now, you understand that we do not recommend vaping fresh, undried and uncured weed. However, we know there are occasions when there is not enough time to go through the entire drying and curing process.
At boredstoners.com, we are all about solutions. Here is how you deal with a constrained timeline between bud and vapor.
How Quick Can You Vape Your Cannabis after the Cut?
This is a tough one. It goes against everything we know about how to improve the vaping experience. If you have to vape pretty much right off the plant, these simple tips might minimize the acridity and sharpness.
- If you have a food dehydrator that would be the first thing I would use. Simply take enough marijuana for your sesh and slowly dry it on a low setting.
- If your vaporizer has temperature settings, set it slightly higher than usual for the initial heating stage. Monitor the load visually to ensure it doesn’t get singed.
- If your device has a fan, switch it on and let it expel the first clouds of vapor
- Make your first few hits smaller than usual. This is when a lot of the water is escaping as water vapor can be harsh on the throat. Be prepared for that ‘cut grass’ taste though.
- You will be surprised by how short the session is – fresh, moist buds are notoriously bloated. Fortunately, you will be well on your way to consuming the recommended eight glasses of water for the day.
More articles to read…
- How to Water Cure Your Already Vaped Cannabis
- Can Sniffer Dogs Smell Out Your Cannabis Vaporizer?
- Make Your Own THC Cannabis E-Liquid
- A Quick Guide to What A Dry Herb Vape Is.
Vaping Dried but Uncured Weed
Congratulations, the gods have half-smiled upon you. There was time to dry your weed, although not enough to cure it. Fortunately, the curing process has also been occurring simultaneously so don’t be afraid to crack out the Grasshopper and get on with it.
Almost all the water content would have dissipated by this stage. The main issue will be the proportion of THC content.
While the conventional view is that the THC content itself increases during curing, that is a misconception. There is a negligible change in the total amount of THC. What does change significantly is the volume of chlorophyll and starch, which starts to drop! As a result, it increases the proportion of THC and the flavor Terpenes.
If you were to smoke uncured weed, you still burn everything in it. Fortunately, vaping is more precise.
Vape the uncured weed as you would if it were cured. You will still get traces of the chlorophyll etc. However, the consensus is that this affects the smoothness of the experience but not necessarily the potency of the hit.
Accelerated Drying and Curing
The Environment
Each stage of the process has its unique optimum conditions, as does each individual grower have their own way of drying and curing. This works for me.
For drying weed, you should have
To cure, place the dried weed in a mason jar. The temperature should be the same as for drying – 70°F (21°C) – but the humidity should be in the 60-65% range.
(Maybe it’s obvious, and maybe it’s not, but if you are curing, you have to measure the humidity inside the jar, not of the room as you do for the drying stage)
Drying
Air circulation – The constant movement of moisture-heavy air away from the plant enhances the evaporation rate.
Trim – Remove all excess greenery that will not go in your vape. It’s the stuff that contains less THC but lots of water.
Use a drying rack – Simply hanging upside-down on a clothesline works but you have to hang by the stem, which retains much water. So, if you have access to a drying rack you can trim all the stalk away which results in accelerated drying times.
I use the trays from my dehydrator in place of a drying rack.
Curing
Darkness – Green plants will continue with photosynthesis if they are exposed to sunlight, which will reverse the curing process.
Spacing – Do not pack the mason jars full; three-quarters full is ideal. Make sure that they move freely when you shake the jar. If they stick, they are still too wet.
Good Cheating – Make holes with a fork on a piece of thin plastic. After placing the buds in the mason jars. Put the plastic across its mouth and place small bits of paper between it and the lid before screwing it on.
The paper absorbs moisture from the buds so the curing process can proceed uninterrupted without the daily airing process disrupting the equilibrium inside.
I’ve never tried this but it works apparently.
Caution:
Once plucked, do not ever place the leaves in sunlight to dry. Without a supply of nutrients from the soil or hydroponic water, the THC will begin to break down immediately.
Do not dry in a microwave, even “just for a few seconds, on Low.” Cooking your cannabis is not the same as dehydrating and curing it.
If you are willing to wait after reading all that, you will find a decent drying and curing guide on Royal Queen Seeds
Final Puff
I have felt the temptation to cut corners and skip drying and curing, so I empathize. However, when circumstances force you to, one thing is sure: the vaping experience will be less than perfect.
First, there is the bitterness of the taste, the harshness on your throat, then all the precautions you must take. All this to salvage a high that otherwise comes with no effort.
The drama detracts from what should be a time to kick back, switch your brain off, and just get baked.
If you have invested all that time, money, and effort into growing a batch, the least you could do is reward your efforts. The best way to do that is to dry and cure before savoring the fruits of your labor.
We are always learning about vaping. This post is based on our personal experiences. If you have any specific questions, ask away, and we will address each one. Or, if you tried our method and it worked, let us know. Alternatively, if you have a better way, we’d love to hear!
New to Vaping Marijuana? I would recommend checking out our Beginners Guide to Vaping Weed.
Thanks for reading
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