Taste change with cure

[HomeFree]

I have noticed taste changes along a cure time. Has anyone else noticed this? The main change I have noticed is a lemon taste seems to come out of some strains and if it is already lemony and fresh when I picked it up it can get a strong lemon taste. I have had some strains with not really a hint of lemon and 4 months later have a noticeable verging on strong lemon taste. Second to that is a hashy type of flavor, kind of incense (like frankincense?) like, but maybe it is degradation. I lose some sour taste as well from sour strains.


What kind of changes have you seen in taste over time? If so what are the tastes that get stronger or weaker?

They seem to get sweeter as well, probably from chlorophyll degrading.

 

[TeeJay1952]

Those glands that we vape go though several changes as they age. First as you surmised, chlorophyll breaks down and dissipates removing the green or grassy taste. Now the true flavor can be discerned. Various other compounds mature and give a more "seasoned" or dank taste. Like scotch or fine wine, exposure to time permits nuanced appreciation. Best of all is the testing you do at various stages to verify the process and it is allot of fun.

 

[Hashtag46&2]

Exactly what @TeeJay1952 said...

As the Glandular Heads cure, they go through the process of polymerization.

Aromatics take on a "spicy" hashish like aroma.

Some of the very lightweight molecular Terpenes boil off completely, whilst others morph and some will elevate certain profiles.

I have a minimum of at least 30 days of cure time (not including the initial dry) before I even sample my flowers.

And I've tasted many, many transitions during the 30 day sample vs the 90 day sample.

Some strains taste better at the 30 day Mark..
But most taste better after 90 days.. Not only has the flavor gotten better, but the Flowers true colors pop, and most importantly the effects are much more balanced.

Which mostly depends on the plant's genetic predisposition.

The more times a plant is crossed with another, the Terpenes get "lost" in translation.

The gene pool is at risk right now, too many people crossing strains weakening the Genetics.
If one wants to breed their own creations, they need to have some knowledge in how to stabilize the genetics before releasing seeds to the Banks.

 

[MinnBobber]

I have noticed taste changes along a cure time. Has anyone else noticed this?

......................................................
Yes, I find that a great bud will taste better and better over time. As the chlorophyll and base plant matter dissipates, there is less of a grassy taste to it. The taste gets better and better. I'm not sure if there is a point when it reverses course and gets worse, especially if sealed nicely with Boveda 62% humidity packs.

I am very curious on color over time.... I wish one of the photo gurus here would shoot a big ol' cola at 10 days, 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, and a year. I'm guessing my one year bud has faded a little but no real pics to back that up????
What do you think (or know) happens to color long term?

 

[Hashtag46&2]

......................................................


I am very curious on color over time.... I wish one of the photo gurus here would shoot a big ol' cola at 10 days, 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, and a year. I'm guessing my one year bud has faded a little but no real pics to back that up????
What do you think (or know) happens to color long term?

I happen to have kept a handful of nugs from my first TGA grow, which was Spacedog.

I kept the same few buds for about a year... So .. I used to go outside and photograph various flowers in my stash everyday... And The Spacedog jar was always screaming at me.."I need more pictures!"

So, while I don't have specific dates, they are listed in my photobucket... So, I'll start with the first pic I took, and the subsequent pics through about a year of curing.









Finally the exact same flower from picture 1... But a little closer...



^^^ Around a full year later, so.. The color did fade a tad after a full year, but brightened up a bit in the middle displayed best by pic 3.

Most notably the glands transitioning from "Milky" to Gold.

 

[herbivore21]

Exactly what @TeeJay1952 said...

As the Glandular Heads cure, they go through the process of polymerization.

Aromatics take on a "spicy" hashish like aroma.

Some of the very lightweight molecular Terpenes boil off completely, whilst others morph and some will elevate certain profiles.

I have a minimum of at least 30 days of cure time (not including the initial dry) before I even sample my flowers.

And I've tasted many, many transitions during the 30 day sample vs the 90 day sample.

Some strains taste better at the 30 day Mark..
But most taste better after 90 days.. Not only has the flavor gotten better, but the Flowers true colors pop, and most importantly the effects are much more balanced.

Which mostly depends on the plant's genetic predisposition.

The more times a plant is crossed with another, the Terpenes get "lost" in translation.

The gene pool is at risk right now, too many people crossing strains weakening the Genetics.
If one wants to breed their own creations, they need to have some knowledge in how to stabilize the genetics before releasing seeds to the Banks.

What my bro says here.

Also, the reason that chlorophyll is lost during the cure is because microbes feed on this (also the residual moisture, which is why there needs to be some moisture left during curing, to sustain these little critters making our medicine better.

Now I have come full circle on this one. Full cure is the way to go. I prefer a 3 month cure before I use a given jar of material. If not, 1 is my absolute minimum just like Hashtag

Holy shit bro, those pics above! The yellow headies on the last one reminds me of the perfectly cured THC bomb nugs I used to get in another life. I cut my teeth on those learning to make concentrates and the first bubble I ever tried (I didn't make it) was from this material. Still got a tiny bit of the bubble after >3 years of cure. Fantastic material! You'd better believe that material is yellow and amber now! Squishes out into a very gold/dark amber completely transparent shatter when rosin tek is applied (this bubble is 4 star, not full melt).

I am about to change my setup so that I am curing all nugs straight after receiving from here on in. My days of freezing them (a hangover from solvent processing) are over. All I make is bubble and rosin now, both benefit more from a cure. The thing about solventless is that you got no chemicals to tidy up the appearance, consistency etc and make something that will keep without crazy nucleation and mold.

You need to make sure that the resin you extract is going to meet these criteria for your purposes and this means concentrating on the state of the resin and the handling of the nugs more than anything.

 

[MinnBobber]

I'm just thankful the herb gets better with proper cure as it's a long time between Colorado visits for me.
It has to last a looong time.

FYI, at the best CO shop that I found, I asked about their cure time and they responded rather proudly--we do 10 days, like that was really great..... WTF.
Good thing the customer can finish the job

 

[Hashtag46&2]

What my bro says here.

Also, the reason that chlorophyll is lost during the cure is because microbes feed on this (also the residual moisture, which is why there needs to be some moisture left during curing, to sustain these little critters making our medicine better.

Now I have come full circle on this one. Full cure is the way to go. I prefer a 3 month cure before I use a given jar of material. If not, 1 is my absolute minimum just like Hashtag

Holy shit bro, those pics above! The yellow headies on the last one reminds me of the perfectly cured THC bomb nugs I used to get in another life. I cut my teeth on those learning to make concentrates and the first bubble I ever tried (I didn't make it) was from this material. Still got a tiny bit of the bubble after >3 years of cure. Fantastic material! You'd better believe that material is yellow and amber now! Squishes out into a very gold/dark amber completely transparent shatter when rosin tek is applied (this bubble is 4 star, not full melt).

I am about to change my setup so that I am curing all nugs straight after receiving from here on in. My days of freezing them (a hangover from solvent processing) are over. All I make is bubble and rosin now, both benefit more from a cure. The thing about solventless is that you got no chemicals to tidy up the appearance, consistency etc and make something that will keep without crazy nucleation and mold.

You need to make sure that the resin you extract is going to meet these criteria for your purposes and this means concentrating on the state of the resin and the handling of the nugs more than anything.

Really good post brother herb!!!

 

[TboneToker]

I happen to have kept a handful of nugs from my first TGA grow, which was Spacedog.

I kept the same few buds for about a year... So .. I used to go outside and photograph various flowers in my stash everyday... And The Spacedog jar was always screaming at me.."I need more pictures!"

So, while I don't have specific dates, they are listed in my photobucket... So, I'll start with the first pic I took, and the subsequent pics through about a year of curing.









Finally the exact same flower from picture 1... But a little closer...



^^^ Around a full year later, so.. The color did fade a tad after a full year, but brightened up a bit in the middle displayed best by pic 3.

Most notably the glands transitioning from "Milky" to Gold.

I have noticed getting weed that was more golden like this and it was the best smoke ever!

Will leaving my weed in a jar cure it. I already purchased it will letting it sit their cure it?

 

[Hashtag46&2]

I have noticed getting weed that was more golden like this and it was the best smoke ever!

Will leaving my weed in a jar cure it. I already purchased it will letting it sit their cure it?

Yes sir, Air tight jar.. Keep jar in a cool dark place.

Depending on how fresh the flowers are... You will want to "burp" (open jar, and simply exchange the air in the jar for fresh air.)

I personally cup my hand, and slap the mouth of the jar ..acting as a pump.

If it was harvested within the last 10 days...
You will want to burp twice a day for at least 2 weeks.

After we stabilize the RH you can leave it in a jar with a 62% Boveda pack .

The "initial cure" is a process of drawing out the moisture from the center (branch/stem) of the flowers and bringing it to the outer surface to dissipate, back into a jar and repeat, until we have reached a stable condition.

S-l-o-w cure is the best cure.

Feel free to pm for more info.

 

[TeeJay1952]

3 drawer dresser
Top drawer current use strains. (10) pop lid once a week
Middle drawer long cure B. Ounce Mason jar. B.pack 64%. Pop lid once a week
Bottom drawer latest cure. Pop lid twice a week

All Dank No Stank

 

[HomeFree]

The trichomes turn gold for me as well. I like the herb right before then the best. Once it is gold I give myself a window to use it. It looks beautiful like that, almost like the sun is going down. The nugs get lighter too. Airy buds definitely cure and age much faster.

Hashtag, the trichomes look damaged on the last pic! Almost like they collapsed or burst. I don't have anything to see that close. Most of my material is 8 months or newer now though.

It would be so cool to be able to preserve a beautiful gold studded trichome bud in some kind of poly mold to make a paperweight, but I am sure the trichomes would melt so you would lose that sparkle. It would be a conversation piece.

Thanks for the input!

Teejay, I think I may do the same but with jyarz for current use so I don't have to open up the whole jar every time I want to snatch a nugget. I only use maybe a quarter ounce a month so it doesn't make sense to open up the whole jar every time just to pull out a pea sized nugget.

 

[MinnBobber]

T J, just curious why you pop the lids once a week on long term bud?

Once a new strain is fully stabilized, for sure by 5-6 months, I only open the jar as needed/never burp any more. I go by--"Let a sleeping bud with stable humidity be".
What function/benefit does burping long term provide?
Thanks

 

[Hashtag46&2]

Hashtag, the trichomes look damaged on the last pic! Almost like they collapsed or burst. I don't have anything to see that close. Most of my material is 8 months or newer now though.

Great observation!!

This is the perfect opportunity to show just how fragile those precious Trichomes can be, and especially brittle after a long term cure.
(Try breaking a chunk of a nug in bright sunlight.... ** poof** Trichomes glistening in the air, lost to the atmosphere )

That single flower was subjected to very gentle jostling in a jar that was just big enough to house the flowers... Shuffling it around in a safe for rotation, taking the bud out to photograph and show people.

Imagine what happens to them in a grinder.

This is the main reason I keep a large number of various sized glass jars...
I want as little dead space as possible, this helps in two ways...

As little oxygen as possible and as little jostling as possible.

It would be so cool to be able to preserve a beautiful gold studded trichome bud in some kind of poly mold to make a paperweight, but I am sure the trichomes would melt so you would lose that sparkle. It would be a conversation piece.

Thanks for the input!
.

Thank you my friend, it is always a pleasure.

 

[TeeJay1952]

Habit. I started before B Packs and until legal never had strains before. Takes way less now days and it just sort of backs up.

 

[HellsWindStaff]

I don't know how old the weed I am buying is, but I typically let it sit for a month + in some jyarz and it usually ages well and tastes better after a month. Just general consistency is much better, seems a bit wet when I get it typically.

That said, I have some tree from October that is mostly shake and a few nugs that smells like asshole.

 

[herbivore21]

Great observation!!

This is the perfect opportunity to show just how fragile those precious Trichomes can be, and especially brittle after a long term cure.
(Try breaking a chunk of a nug in bright sunlight.... ** poof** Trichomes glistening in the air, lost to the atmosphere )

That single flower was subjected to very gentle jostling in a jar that was just big enough to house the flowers... Shuffling it around in a safe for rotation, taking the bud out to photograph and show people.

Imagine what happens to them in a grinder.

This is the main reason I keep a large number of various sized glass jars...
I want as little dead space as possible, this helps in two ways...

As little oxygen as possible and as little jostling as possible.


Thank you my friend, it is always a pleasure.

My brother speaks the truth about those glands. They just don't need a lot of encouragement to come off of the nug!

This also sums up why I stopped using grinders (I mean I don't have any use for ground herb anyway, given that I don't use flowers these days lol). The heads get obliterated, in my hot, humid climate they get stuck all over the grinder and you're forever sacrificing the best parts of your material to the grinder gods, only to make it back as reclaim (which loses terps)!

I started using a pair of herb scissors before I stopped using flowers months ago. Those scissors that look like 5 pairs stuck together lol. Put your nug in a plain shot glass (the kind that alcoholics drink solvents out of), the 5 blade herb scissors only just fit in there, then snip away. It'll get your nug perfectly ready for vaping and it is easy as fuck to brush any headies straight off the blades to rejoin your herb

Now I don't think this has been mentioned yet but curing is not always the best thing to do right away or at all with some material. If you get material that is still wet or not fully dried out so that the stalks are frangible (readily broken) with your thumb and forefinger, you need to dry it first.

Too much moisture when you jar it (especially without boveda packs - which will get rid of all but the most ridiculous excess moisture and thus protect you from the following outcome somewhat) and you are in for a world of fungal hurt. Your nugs will get absolutely vile with time if this happens.

Also use boveda packs. Takes the guess work out of controlling the humidity for the cure after your nugs are properly dried out.

Remember as well that not all locales were created equally for the purposes of drying and curing herbs. Someone in Co like my man Hashtag will have a much easier time drying out nugs/avoiding fungus than someone in a tropical, humid climate (like Miami - at least last time I was there). A hygrometer is a godsend in a curing area/cupboard/humidor/whatever to keep track of ambient humidity and ensure that your herb gets better, not worse with age.

 

[MinnBobber]

I started using a pair of herb scissors before I stopped using flowers months ago. Those scissors that look like 5 pairs stuck together lol. Put your nug in a plain shot glass (the kind that alcoholics drink solvents out of), the 5 blade herb scissors only just fit in there, then snip away. It'll get your nug perfectly ready for vaping and it is easy as fuck to brush any headies straight off the blades to rejoin your herb

@herbivore21 ,
do you have any pics of the 5 bladed monster and a link to buy such?
I could not find a great scissors so am now plucking calyxes with a tweezer but looking for other options.

how you describe the 5 blader, can you cut precisely OR is it for big volume users/ it's kind of like cutting with a chainsaw lol ? Having never used one, does it cut multiple cuts at once or what??

 

[herbivore21]

@herbivore21 ,
do you have any pics of the 5 bladed monster and a link to buy such?
I could not find a great scissors so am now plucking calyxes with a tweezer but looking for other options.

how you describe the 5 blader, can you cut precisely OR is it for big volume users/ it's kind of like cutting with a chainsaw lol ? Having never used one, does it cut multiple cuts at once or what??

http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-SNIP-Her...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000TYKWMI

Actually, the process I described above for cutting this up in a shot glass is best done with 1g or less of flower It can be done precisely, keep in mind that it is basically like holding 5 pairs of scissors in one and probably isn't best for really fine single cuts.

 

[jojo monkey]

That single flower was subjected to very gentle jostling in a jar that was just big enough to house the flowers... Shuffling it around in a safe for rotation, taking the bud out to photograph and show people.

Imagine what happens to them in a grinder.

I imagine more heads are lost to shitty vapes that don't heat evenly or to conduction vapes. You can always scrape your jar or tap your grinder. Ya can't get back what a vape eats.

 

[herbivore21]

I imagine more heads are lost to shitty vapes that don't heat evenly or to conduction vapes. You can always scrape your jar or tap your grinder. Ya can't get back what a vape eats.

If you're grinding up epic headstash, those heads are sticky suckers and sure aren't gonna tap out of a grinder easily. Especially in high temp+/high humidity, I always found that even the best metallic grinders would really get a build up of greasy resin stuck around the blades and everything and never functioned optimally for long - I've tried each of the high end grinders and found this effect.

Plastic grinders like the famous S & B grinder you get with the crafty/mighty etc were somewhat better for this but I like to avoid plastics (although the S&B one is truly another league of plastic grinder I must say) and it does still build up in edges over time in small but sticky amounts and scraping it out concerned me about scraping off plastic.

Still, those days are behind me now

 

[Hashtag46&2]

What my bro says here.

Also, the reason that chlorophyll is lost during the cure is because microbes feed on this (also the residual moisture, which is why there needs to be some moisture left during curing, to sustain these little critters making our medicine better.

Now I have come full circle on this one. Full cure is the way to go. I prefer a 3 month cure before I use a given jar of material. If not, 1 is my absolute minimum just like Hashtag

Holy shit bro, those pics above! The yellow headies on the last one reminds me of the perfectly cured THC bomb nugs I used to get in another life. I cut my teeth on those learning to make concentrates and the first bubble I ever tried (I didn't make it) was from this material. Still got a tiny bit of the bubble after >3 years of cure. Fantastic material! You'd better believe that material is yellow and amber now! Squishes out into a very gold/dark amber completely transparent shatter when rosin tek is applied (this bubble is 4 star, not full melt).

I am about to change my setup so that I am curing all nugs straight after receiving from here on in. My days of freezing them (a hangover from solvent processing) are over. All I make is bubble and rosin now, both benefit more from a cure. The thing about solventless is that you got no chemicals to tidy up the appearance, consistency etc and make something that will keep without crazy nucleation and mold.

You need to make sure that the resin you extract is going to meet these criteria for your purposes and this means concentrating on the state of the resin and the handling of the nugs more than anything.

Aren't you glad I joined FC brother herb?!


I know I certainly am.

 

[herbivore21]

@Hashtag46&2
You'd better believe it, my friend!

 

[Hashtag46&2]

I imagine more heads are lost to shitty vapes that don't heat evenly or to conduction vapes. You can always scrape your jar or tap your grinder. Ya can't get back what a vape eats.

I have to respectively disagree here.(Admiration for your DIY Vape )

I'm obsessed with Trichomes... Have been conducting mechanical separation of the Glandular Head for the last 4 years almost daily.

Vaporizers are simply a tool, the input is much more significant IMO.

The Trichome is very delicate and extremely fragile, & can begin melting just above body temperature.
(Hand pressed Hashish for example)

But, as with most things in life... To each their own.

It is simply a preference of mine, what may work well for me isn't going to work the same for another, ..All about perspective, and ultimately what the end user desires.

As my buddy @ataxian always points out..
"CANNABIS is the HOLY GRAIL!!"

(Hope my capitalization and exclamation points are correctly formatted)
@herbivore21 ...
Love your last post.... Tried to add it to this quote, but my iPad is acting funny...

Or am I just high?

 

[jojo monkey]

Vaporizers are simply a tool, the input is much more significant IMO.

You can't appreciate the input without the tool? I do like to say "garbage in, garbage out" all the time though. Maybe the herb >= the vape? You could preserve every head and put it in a low watt vape and never really get tongue coating flavor or put a ground .07 grams in a big vape and blow your head off in one short hit. Which one is wasting herb? When you have a tool that is limiting the only thing you can control is the input. So I get why a person would focus on it. I've tweezered herb down into my bowl like I was playing a game of operation the board game in reverse. I don't focus on it any more because the tool I use gives me what I need from ground herb.

I do like to keep things undisturbed though. This is why I like herb that was not trimmed other than removing the fan leaves. When it dries upside down you get a free leaf wrapper. I unwrap just before I vape (when I can get herb like that).

To each their own!