"Optimum" level of humidity?

Treetopsman

Well-Known Member
I use Boveda humidity packs to keep everything in good shape, moisture wise.
I noticed that the humidity packs come in 58% and 62% RH.
Would it be better to be a little drier or a little moister for vaping?
 
Treetopsman,

psychonaut

Company Rep
Company Rep
Drier herbs will vaporize faster than moister herbs. For vaporization only, a 45-55% boevda would probably be the better choice, of course you can always unjar your nugs and let them air dry for a bit (assuming your ambient RH is not super high).
 

LabPong

Well-Known Member
I have been using the 62%'ers.....but now I have just changed over to 49% ones. I would normally have many large containers with the 62's in them.....then every couple weeks pull out small bits and keep them in 1-2gm containers by themselves. So I would take some out of that smaller one to grind and be ready for the next day or two.

Too many containers so it got complicated to keep rotations of 6+ strains...sometimes over 12...duh! lol


Now with the 49's.......I can cut down any wait time for perfect moisture levels to grind and get kief. It was not as much a problem with the sativa's....but my beloved indica's made me wait too much when I slacked off on keeping things prepped.
 

cpk

Brother of the Leaf
How about a digital hygrometer inside of a cigar humidor? You add small amounts of water to your silica. A lot of cigars are stored in there glass tubes and wrappers inside and maintain good balance. I am thinking of trying this but need somethings.
 

Winegums

I make things from wood
Accessory Maker
I like my herb dry as any water in the herb makes it harder to grind and will have to be boiled away.

“Wet” herb makes for slower less dense vapour production.
 

Treetopsman

Well-Known Member
How about a digital hygrometer inside of a cigar humidor? You add small amounts of water to your silica. A lot of cigars are stored in there glass tubes and wrappers inside and maintain good balance. I am thinking of trying this but need somethings.
Seems like more work. Boveda packs are very inexpensive. I use 4 gram packs and they are less than $2. The salt based system will either take in moisture or add moisture to the jar.
 

Baron23

Well-Known Member
I also keep my bulk herb in mason jars with 62% packs.

I take out a couple of grams to an 18th, grind it, put it in a drying box for a couple of days (depending on ambient humidity and how moist the flower was to start) and when ready I put it in small sealed containers (space case, doob tubes, tightvacs, that kind of thing).

So, I try to keep my herb at 62% until ready to use, then prepare some for vaping.

Works for me.
 

LabPong

Well-Known Member
I completely agree. Your post is exactly why I don't use boveda any longer besides mold issues began with my introduction of 62s. Never had mold before or after I quit boveda packs. Now I use my index finger to test for moisture. I stick my finger into the jar and if I can barely feel a little moisture this is the perfect amount for safe mold free storage. The buds are always dry yet pliable when done this way for a very long time.

My index finger moisture tester has never failed me. I need to check for moisture with my middle finger to see if the moisture readings are the same or offended.

No need for moisture packs imo. :2c:

:myday:


I do the same with my finger and it has always been something I did since starting....

But what do you do if you need to add moisture to flower that is too dry for storage? I have this problem during the winter months when humidity is low inside and out. Warmer months of the year are not a problem as I am in the mid-west and surrounded by water.
 

Squiby

Well-Known Member
But what do you do if you need to add moisture to flower that is too dry for storage?
If you don't want to use a bodeva pack, I dab of honey inside the lid works nicely to add a bit of humidity.

In fact, I often introduce a bit of honey to finish the cure before I store my bud long term. I really like honey cured bud for it's smooth vapor.
 

anda1anda2

Well-Known Member
I just started experimenting with Boveda 58’s. Herb right from the jar is definitely too moist and needs to be dried to ensure optimum vaporization.

Does anyone else notice Boveda’s slightly lessening the odor of the herb? Could be my imagination...
 
anda1anda2,

Ramahs

Fucking Combustion (mostly) Since February 2017
I just started experimenting with Boveda 58’s. Herb right from the jar is definitely too moist and needs to be dried to ensure optimum vaporization.

Does anyone else notice Boveda’s slightly lessening the odor of the herb? Could be my imagination...

In my experience, the bovedas definitely absorb some of the terpenes...but it doesn't seem to me that the taste is diluted in the same way...Like, maybe the only terpenes that are being absorbed are the room-temp ones that only evaporate from the surface anyway.
 
Ramahs,

anda1anda2

Well-Known Member
In my experience, the bovedas definitely absorb some of the terpenes...but it doesn't seem to me that the taste is diluted in the same way...Like, maybe the only terpenes that are being absorbed are the room-temp ones that only evaporate from the surface anyway.

That actually makes some sense. Like just the ones that would have normally been released upon opening the jar. Curious if others have the same experience.
 
anda1anda2,

Jr Gong

New Member
Drier herbs will vaporize faster than moister herbs. For vaporization only, a 45-55% boevda would probably be the better choice, of course you can always unjar your nugs and let them air dry for a bit (assuming your ambient RH is not super high).
Hi new to this forum but Wouldn't stretching out your session be a good thing. Im probably wrong but The way I like to think of it is the herb is like a moist sponge, as it heats you get that vaporization as you would with a cotton wick in an ecig, if the moisture content is too dry your not going to get as many puffs out of your herb.
 
Jr Gong,

psychonaut

Company Rep
Company Rep
Hi new to this forum but Wouldn't stretching out your session be a good thing. Im probably wrong but The way I like to think of it is the herb is like a moist sponge, as it heats you get that vaporization as you would with a cotton wick in an ecig, if the moisture content is too dry your not going to get as many puffs out of your herb.

Dry herb will give less hits yes, but denser vapor. The extra moisture in flowers will just take longer to evaporate/boil off in the vaporizer until it's finally reached a point where it's vaporizing up mostly cannabinoids.
 

Jr Gong

New Member
Dry herb will give less hits yes, but denser vapor. The extra moisture in flowers will just take longer to evaporate/boil off in the vaporizer until it's finally reached a point where it's vaporizing up mostly cannabinoids.
Yeah its certainly an interesting thing. Ive always used 62% bovedas after harvest and recently was given some strains that were cured under 58%, I found that it finished really quick. I Still want to do a few side by side experiments to see whats lost or gained
 

Alexis

Well-Known Member
I never cared about maintaining humidity levels, but I only preferred as dry as possible.

Until I started to press, I've not had great results with dry, overly cured material...
Interesting and echoed around. I hope to have a harvest soon. Last year I slightly underdried most of the plants and had a mission to burp down from 65% and just over to begin with for a while.

Some of them dried a bit further before jarring, going in at about 60%. These plants cured the best, have the best aroma too. I added humidipaks to virtually all jars in the end after I thought some were dried too far for a long slow cure, and the others I had to burp so much in the end I just lowered them a good bit, tossed 62% packs in and left to cure.

So my plan this year is to dry them all a little further, ideally to get a stable 62% reading at the time of jarring. This seems to be the better way IME. I have found that from there the humidity reading can rise up during curing, but also it can just sit stable at 60%. Both ways seem to give a better final product, with more aroma and better texture/shade as you expect from well cured buds.

However, I also have serious plans to start pressing rosin if things come together.

So Im not sure what approach to take drying/curing with this in mind. I mean, would this approach still be wise? To dry a little more, then I could always add humidipaks after or during curing to restore to, or maintain at 62%.

As in, would there be a better approach with rosin pressing in mind?
Like deliberately jarring above 60%? I was planning to avoid my usual mistake of jarring a little too soon and having a mission to lower them with high environmental humidity (70% plus) so that I didnt even want to open the jars I needed to lower from 64-67%.

And then when its safe to open, having to leave them open so much I felt it messed with the cure and aroma. It just seems like drying a bit further gets better results. I guess perfect woukd be to jar at a stable 60%, which will rise to 62/63% max during cure. But no higher lije 65% and up can easily occur. This way I dont think it matters so much how you cure, how much you burp (Im still not convinced burping is really necessary depending on moisture level at jarring), or if you add humidipaks or not. The end result just seems to be better all round.

But I dont want to render my harvest more difficult to press into rosin down the line.

So any advice is appreciated if anyone has any ideas. @psychonaut you have lots of experience and wisdom on these topics I would really value any thoughts you may have on this. Sorry to keep asking you so much stuff I have great respect for you how you offer the best and clearest unbiassed advice to all here, and with the direction I am hoping to go I feel your knowkedge could help me so much. We will have to sort out some fees 'cos I may become a slight pesterence in the coming months while I find my feet.;)
 

psychonaut

Company Rep
Company Rep
@Alexis I like to follow the guide on drying and curing here, it has never led me astray.

https://www.growweedeasy.com/drying-curing

Once the buds are at about 60% RH, that seems to be the best time to jar them and begin monitoring humidity. If you can maintain anywhere between 58-62% I think that's the sweet spot.

I am not a fan of chasing the higher RH in the jars, I prefer to go a little below where I want RH wise and boost them a few %'s if necessary. My latest batch jarred at 55% RH and is now at 63% after several days. I open the jars to let out the old air and recirculate new air, this seems to help with the breakdown conversion of sugars and chlorophyll in the plant which make it smoother to vape. Right now the buds are smelling quite loud. I'm sure you've tested your freshly dried buds vs 2-3 month old cured buds. Big difference in experience I've found.

Pressing the nugs for rosin, I think the smoother product is going to come from a longer cure, 2-3 months minimum, but who am I to speak for someone else, this is all personal preference.
 

Alexis

Well-Known Member
@Alexis I like to follow the guide on drying and curing here, it has never led me astray.

https://www.growweedeasy.com/drying-curing

Once the buds are at about 60% RH, that seems to be the best time to jar them and begin monitoring humidity. If you can maintain anywhere between 58-62% I think that's the sweet spot.

I am not a fan of chasing the higher RH in the jars, I prefer to go a little below where I want RH wise and boost them a few %'s if necessary. My latest batch jarred at 55% RH and is now at 63% after several days. I open the jars to let out the old air and recirculate new air, this seems to help with the breakdown conversion of sugars and chlorophyll in the plant which make it smoother to vape. Right now the buds are smelling quite loud. I'm sure you've tested your freshly dried buds vs 2-3 month old cured buds. Big difference in experience I've found.

Pressing the nugs for rosin, I think the smoother product is going to come from a longer cure, 2-3 months minimum, but who am I to speak for someone else, this is all personal preference.
Thanks very much, all very assuring and easy to assimilate with how I am looking at things. Im just wanting to be prepared and confident, in advance to go about this right, so lookong ahead.

I will follow my gut and let them dry slightly more. I think as long as it does not Rise Up too far back towards 65% in the Jar then it is not such a problem to burp down again.

But I take great Assurance from what you say that buy drying a little further as I feel would be better this is unlikely to cause problems down the line when it comes to pressing.

Its when it shoots up to 65-67% that it can seem impossble to lower at times.
@emmdeemo big thanks for the video link too bro, I will be calling on you also for your wisdom and experience.
Cheers guys.:tup:
 

Egzoset

Banned
Salutations TreeTopsMan,

Would it be better to be a little drier or a little moister for vaping?

It depends what sort of "vaping". If one is to perform this task the way i do then he'll find that moisture in the bowl just cancels the show, because i "Micro-Burst" and the vast majority of vaporists do not. Actually i doubt a "1-Hitter" as the DynaVap even compares. Based on the "Shortest Path of Least Transformation" where excess mass in a temporary (transitional) "Heat Bottle" would defeat portability: e.g. stop wasting energy so there's plenty to carry around in a pocket! On battery budget, ideally...

M'well, or it's in IH-driven mode and the batteries stay on a table.

Good day, have fun!! :peace:
 
Egzoset,
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