Pubdate: Thu, 25 Sep 2014
Source: Westword (Denver, CO)
Copyright: 2014 Village Voice Media
Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
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Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616
Author: William Breathes

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO STORE MY HARVEST?

Dear Stoner: My outdoor garden is finishing soon. What is the best 
way to store herb, and how long will it stay fresh?

The Hemp Herm

Dear H.H.: The most important thing is learning how to cure your buds 
properly. It's a detailed, scientific process, but the general idea 
is to let them dry out in an open, breezy space until they feel crisp 
to the touch on the outside, but before the stems are brittle enough 
to snap off. Next, put them in airtight containers, opening them 
every 24 hours or so to "burp" the remaining moisture that is slowly 
releasing from the buds. Continue the process until you've hit about 
55 percent relative humidity (that's on the dry end).

At that point, you can store your ganja - though you'll still need to 
give the jars a burping every week for the first month or so and at 
least once a month after that. Miniature hydrometers, which you can 
keep in the jars themselves, help dial in the buds to perfect 
moisture levels to keep them fresh and avoid mold. We don't suggest 
using the humidity-controlling packs, however; they tend to add 
moisture after it's too late, resulting in moist, uncured buds. 
(There are excellent threads and forums with detailed humidity 
information at icmag.com and thcfarmer.com.)

As for storage, there is no single "best" solution. But keep in mind 
that light, temperature and air are the enemy. Airtight Ball canning 
jars work well for storage and come in sizes ranging from eight 
ounces to a half-gallon. You can find them at craft stores and 
canning stores; prices are usually low this time of year, when 
everyone is canning summer veggies and fruits. To eliminate light, 
keep the jars in cardboard boxes (wine boxes from the local liquor 
store are a free option) or store them in a cabinet. Temperature 
control is important to keep any mold at bay, but freezing your buds 
will just make the plants (and, more important, the trichomes) 
brittle - and you'll end up with crumbly, kiefed herb when you handle 
it to replenish your stash every few weeks. But you do want to keep 
those buds cool. Some people suggest keeping them in a fridge, but 
here in Colorado, a basement is a good spot - though we suggest 
burping the jars upstairs, as basements tend to have damper air than 
the rest of the house. If you don't have a good basement, try a cool 
closet on an interior wall.

If you've done everything right, you can easily store buds for a year 
or longer without any problems. And if you've followed the curing 
process correctly, they'll come out tastier and tastier each time you 
pop open your head stash.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom