you guys are awesome!
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Hector,
it does not sound like your drying methods r causing the unpleasant smoke.!!
stop using the boveda packs, if u r burping the jars until 60% moisture then u r good.!
at this point u can put a pack in there and close the lid tight for storage.
what fertilizers r u using and how much of each.?
what is the tent temps right above the plant tops.?
what kinda light and how close to the tops.?
what do the trichomes look like at harvest, a few cloudy.? a few amber.?
if u can post a pic of the last set up u had, preferably with the plants in mid-late flower.!
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@Hector1…harsh nasty taste same as first two grows???
Did you remember to flush for awhile?
Yes I flushed for at least three to four watering over a 4 week period.
Not being rude, but here is flushing.
Flushing is----using only plain PH’d water for two weeks to flush out the residual nutes in the soil.
no more nutes,just plain water.
If the crop is not flushed…the smoke will be harsh nasty horrible taste. Like swallowing razor blades.
I don’t know about swallowing razor blades, that’s wicked wicked harsh man!! An occasional small sword here n there!!
this may have been the problem, some salts stay in the ‘soil’ like Iron,
others leach out quickly like Sulfur,
Sulfur is a big player in the smell, flavor, and color of fruits and flowers.!
75+ (24 c) temps during drying can cause this also.
high temps with low humidity (less then 20%) can effect flavor/smell.
high humidity (60+%) during drying can cause mold/mildew which obviously would taste bad…
give a run down on your entire grow from germ to jar.!!
the more details and pics the better advice u will get.!
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what week does it start showing buds
Hey @SlowOldGuy I appreciate everything but a run down of germ to jar takes things way back. I didn’t have any problem with the grow. That’s not my
topic. I think that @MattyBear and @merlin44 nailed the problem and the solution. I did flush with ph water. I think they dried too fast and introduced boveda packs in the jar too quickly.
Next time I’ll be trying their suggestions on the drying and curing process. Thanks very much for the help.
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u r the first new comer i have ever heard of having everything right germ to jar.!
congratulations man.!!
with the grow performed properly all u have to do is dry the buds thoroughly,
at this point the smell, flavor, and potency should all be on point,
the cure is for connoisseurs, it makes the smoke even smoother and more enjoyable.
after a proper dry, try sampling your smoke at the time u r jarring it up,
if it is harsh, chemically, and/or ‘dirt’ flavored it may be a flowering problem and no cure will help much,
I pull all the fan leaves, chop the whole plant, hang in 50% RH/70 deg fer for 4-8 days, trim and jar it,
checking the jars/smoke twice a day and only burping the lid if there is moisture on the jar walls and/or lid, after 2 days of no burping (no fog in the jar) it is ready for the cure…
idk the % of moisture, but when proper, the buds will be soft when squeezed, not crunchy and there r no water droplets or fog in the jar.!!
if they get crunchy they need water added back, a small piece of iceburg lettuce leaf in the jar or a light mist from a spray bottle works great.
my buds r smoke ready 2 - 4 days after they get into jars, at this point it is at optimal moisture level and ready for consumption or storage.!!
2 weeks later u can tell a difference in the smoke (smoother)
after 2 months it is about as smooth as it is gonna get.!
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@SlowOldGuy If you have visible moisture in your jars while burping, that is NOT a good thing and means you jarred them up too early. You should empty the buds out of the jar if you see moisture and continue drying in a paper bag. Moisture causes mold inside your jars. It will also take your buds longer to cure if you put them in jars when they aren’t ready. Wait until small stems audibly snap, not just bend, before placing in jars. The buds should feel dry to the touch. 
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a bit of fog or a few water droplets is fine,
this is the proper way to finish drying your buds, this method produces the best flavor,
if u jarred at the right time there can be a tiny amount of excess moisture that has to be released,
opening the jars does this.!
after 2 days of NO visible fog or even a single water droplet, then they should be spongy to the squeeze, not crunchy, and ready for storage in a sealed container. (i use canning jars)
i see recommendations of ‘only fill your jars 1/2 to 3/4 of the way’…
my jars get packed full during the trim, but i monitor them closely until dry.!
burping has become a mechanical activity for new growers,
they r burping jars 2-3 times a day for 1-3 weeks whether it is needed or not,
if the buds r already dry and at the proper moisture level then burping is not necessary.!!
burping is part of drying, the curing process starts when the jars r sealed and stored.
If that method works for you, then great. I just wouldn’t recommend to anyone having visible moisture in jars is a good thing. I’ve seen people throw out ounces at a time because they jarred them up to quick and had visible moisture in their jars.
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In my opinion, if there’s that much moisture in the jar, that’s a great way to end with moldy flowers, rendering them useless.
They shouldn’t be placed in jars yet.
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the only way to avoid any excess moisture in the jars is to either over-dry the buds or calculate the moisture content, this would be a nightmare of weighing, measuring, and calculating.
over-drying is fine and should be used by all new growers, but if u want the absolute best then u have to finish drying in the jars.!!
this slows down the finish dry and creates more flavor and a smoother smoke.! (minimal difference)
this is a fine line to walk, too much moisture can ruin the whole jar with mold/mildew,
if u r having to burp for more then 7 days then the material was not ready for the final step of drying and next time should be dried more while hanging then jarred for final dry.
Covert, try it sometime.!!
I used this method for 4+ years on SoG grown buds, some of which weighed 30+ grams.!!
as long as there was no bud rot when jarred, this has never ruined a full jar of bud.!
some of those jars were stored for almost 2 years.!
@SlowOldGuy I think this pretty much sums it up. You said so yourself, that it’s a fine line.
I would rather not risk mold at all. (Nobody else would either) This may work for you in your region of the country, but for others who battle humidity day in and day out and bud rot before harvest, this is a recipe for disaster.
I’m glad this works for you, but I’ll just agree that we disagree at this point. I’m fine with that.
This is an informative forum, and it’s always great that we can share different methods of doing the same task. Happy harvesting.
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I love big colas too. But yeah stem inside of monster bud can be a savior or nightmare.
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15 years ago my method was the preferred method, this was instructed to growers on the grow sites,
unfortunately, grow site members do not read and remember anymore,
i know u see this everyday, posters asking questions that the OP had already answered at least once,
the majority of posters now only see/remember the thread topic, idk why this is but it is not a good way to learn from written text.!!
back 15 yrs ago when people could still follow written direction this method was used by everyone with little to no fails.!!
20 yrs ago before the advent of grow sites i over-dried everything then stored it,
at that point i would re-hydrate the material as needed for use,
after leaning the slow dry method it has been used ever since.!!
totally agreed and… > as posted earlier < (LOL)…
the slow dry method IS NOT for novice growers with shitty set ups,
it is meant to tweak your great, nearly finished buds into the nicest smoke possible.!!
some crappy pics of a semi-recent harvest…
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