Cannabis Update UK
Why's My Weed All Smellin' Like Grass?
QUESTION: Is it normal for my drying buds to smell like cut grass? When should I put them in jars to cure them?
: Yes it is perfectly normal for your buds to smell like cut grass while they are drying. In fact, that is what the curing process is all about. So exactly what does it mean to “cure” your bud and why do you need to do it?
Curing is simply the process of extracting unwanted chlorophyll from your buds immediately after they have dried. Chlorophyll is a chemical that plays a key role in photosynthesis and is what makes plants green. With uncured bud, the chlorophyll will overpower its flavor and odor and is also very harsh on the lungs, making for an all around bad session. If you want your bud to be as dank as possible, you gotta take the time to properly cure it.
Steps to curing your bud:
- Trim the large fan leaves from the plants and hang them upside down in a cool dry place with plenty of circulation.
- Allow the buds to dry until the stems snap and break when bent in half.
- Finish manicuring the bud by removing the rest of the small crystal filled leaves. Set the leaves aside for making hash or edibles later.
- Remove the buds from their stems and place into glass mason jars.
- Put the lids on the jars and store them in a dark place like a sock drawer or something for 48 hours.
- Open the jars and notice that the buds are a bit damp again and have that cut grass smell.
- That cut grass smell you get is actually Ammonia, which is the byproduct of Chlorophyll decomposition. There are tiny microbes floating around everywhere in the air that are responsible for the decomposition of all organic matter, especially plant matter. By sealing the buds in the jars, you accelerate the decomposition process. Think about what happens when you leave freshly cut grass in a lawn bag for a few days. Since grass is pretty much all water and chlorophyll, you will find a bag full of wet, stank sludge. If you don’t put the grass in a bag, it will just dry up and turn brown and crumbly. You don’t want either one of these things to happen to your buds and that’s why we dry and cure them.
- Stir the buds around and allow them to air out until they dry back up. (usually about 2 hours)
- Put the lid back on the jar and return it to the sock drawer.
- Wait a few days and repeat steps 6 and 7.
- Continue this process until the bud remains dry in the jars and there is no longer any trace of the ammonia smell. (usually about 1 month)
If you are going to take the time to grow your own medicine, you need to come correct and take time to finish the job. Harvest time may be only two months, but the bud’s not ready to smoke for three. You wouldn’t eat non-ripened fruits and vegetables so don’t smoke uncured buds. If a fine wine takes 20 years to age into perfection, you must wait 20 years to drink it. Otherwise you are cheating yourself.
Cannabis Update UK