You have successfully harvested and dried your plant? Then take the next step and ferment your cannabis. Many skip this step and smoke the dried buds directly. But if you want your buds to rival those from coffee shops and be of a higher quality, cure the harvest after drying so that it takes on a more intense flavor and can be stored for a long time. But fermenting cannabis - how does it work? We'll explain it to you here in our blog article.
How to grow successfully in the Bonsanto Mini Grow Box, you will learn in our Bonsanto growing guide.
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Why ferment cannabis?
Fermenting cannabis or also called Curing refers to the controlled storage and curing process of your harvest. Fermenting your buds after drying will not only result in higher quality buds and a delicious taste when smoked, but the smoking experience will be milder and throat scratchiness will be prevented. Fermenting cannabis converts previously non-psychoactive THC into psychoactive THC. If you don't ferment your crop, your buds will lose flavor and THC content. This happens due to light exposure and too high or low humidity during normal storage and omission of fermentation.
During curing, the humidity is therefore specifically controlled and light irradiation is prevented. Fermenting cannabis has the consequence that your dried buds also dry completely inside, as this has often not yet happened completely after drying. In addition, fermenting cannabis breaks down chlorophyll, which makes smoking a scratchy affair and is therefore very unpopular with most smokers and growers.
What are the benefits of cannabis fermentation?
Fermented buds are more delicious in smell and flavour and provide a mild smoking experience. Have you ever smoked cannabis that had a sharp, scratchy flavour? Then this is most likely due to the fact that this cannabis was not fermented. Another advantage of cannabis fermentation is that after curing, the harvest can be stored for a long period of time without mould forming. This means you don't have to consume your harvest straight away, but can store it for several weeks without any problems. Cannabis fermentation also reduces the development of anxiety when smoking, as cured buds contain more cannabinoids than non-fermented buds.
When can curing be started?
But enough theory - now it's about the practice of cannabis fermenting. As mentioned above, you must first harvest your buds and dry them as usual. Only then can you start fermenting. For drying, you can use a drying case, for example. If the small buds of the harvest can be easily broken off, it is the optimal time to finish drying and start curing the buds. Normally, the drying of the crop takes between three and seven days.
What is needed to ferment cannabis?
Clean and proper cannabis fermentation takes practice - but don't worry! Here we explain everything you need to know in order to achieve a pleasurable smoking experience.
For the curing of the buds you need a container that you can close airtight, a hygrometer to measure the humidity and a little patience. The container should be made of metal or glass, because these materials, unlike plastic, do not change the smell and taste of your buds. The Miron storage container from Bonsanto, for example, is a container that is ideal for fermentation. This container is made of violet glass and is impermeable to air and light. This is important because curing must take place either in a dark place or in an opaque container, as light reduces the THC content in your harvest and this must of course be avoided.
How does fermenting cannabis work?
Now your buds should be dried in an airtight container until the right humidity is reached. Place the buds together with the hygrometer in your chosen container. Close it and check a few hours later how high the humidity is in the container. The humidity should ideally be between 60 and 65%so that the curing process can start.
If the humidity is higher than 65%, the buds are not dry enough and the curing process cannot start yet. Then simply open the container and let your harvest dry further with the lid open. Airing allows the excessively moist air to escape and oxygen to enter the container. Ventilate until the humidity is below 65%. Then you can close the container again so that your harvest hardens. Check the humidity regularly and ventilate whenever the humidity should be higher than 65%. In the first few days after the start of curing, it is common to need to ventilate several times a day, as the humidity in the container will still be very high, especially at the beginning.
If the humidity is higher than 70%, airing is not enough and then you should take the flowers out of the jar for about one to two hours.
If the humidity is less than 55%, there is a risk that the buds will become too brittle. In this case, be sure to keep the container or jar closed so that the humidity rises. In addition, you can put a humidity bag in the container, which can speed up the process.
The selected container should be filled only up to 3/4, so that your flowers have space and have some air to the top.
You should also check your buds for mold every day and redistribute them periodically in the container to prevent mold buildup in moist areas.
Would you like to ferment your harvest?
Then discover our Bonsanto products for successful fermentation now.
How to maintain the optimum humidity?
To maintain the right humidity for cannabis fermentation in your jar, you can use the Boveda Hygro-Pack bag from Bonsanto. Simply place the bag with your buds in the jar or your Miron storage container. Depending on the humidity, the Boveda Hygro Hivel either release or absorb water vapour. This regulates the humidity in your container and saves you having to ventilate it a few times. The bag can be used for around six months. As soon as the pack feels solid, you should dispose of it.
When can cannabis fermentation be stopped?
Theoretically, you can ferment your cannabis for as long as you like. The important thing is that your buds are cured for at least two weeks. We recommend a curing time of seven to eight weeks, as your buds will then be of coffee shop quality, and when smoked will have an unsurpassable taste and smell experience.
You will see...Fermenting cannabis will pay off!
