Ep 040: How to Dry and Cure: The Slow Dry Method

0:00 — 0:52

Episode Intro and End Goal

Jeremy introduces episode 31 as the drying and curing tutorial viewers have been asking for. He frames the end goal: finished cannabis that retains all the terpenes, odors and texture. He notes that in-jar humidity preferences vary between roughly 58% and 63% RH — he personally likes his ready-to-burn, not bone dry and not wet — but says the drying environment itself should not change between growers.

0:52 — 2:34

Core Targets — 60 Degrees, 60 Percent, 16 Days

Jeremy lays down his basic rule: target 60°F and 60% RH for 16 days, and extend the drying period as long as possible without going above 60% (mold risk) or too far below (too fast). If your room tends drier, you can leave the whole plant with stalk and some leaf material on to add moisture. He calls out his Niwa humidifier controller and AC Infinity fan running in the corner at about 68-70°F, and warns never to run a light during drying — he only had one on so the camera could see.

1. 1. Target 60°F room temperature
2. 2. Target 60% RH for the whole dry
3. 3. Aim to drag the dry out to around 16 days (two weeks is acceptable, longer is fine)
4. 4. Never run a grow light during drying — dry in the dark
5. 5. If your climate is dry, leave whole plant with stalk and some leaves on to elevate tent humidity
6. 6. If your climate is humid, dehumidify or use air conditioning as a dehumidifier

2:34 — 4:45

Tricks Without a Humidifier — Small Tent and Indirect Airflow

For growers without a Niwa/humidifier setup, Jeremy recommends compressing the dry space into a 3x3 or 4x4 grow tent so the wet plants themselves raise the humidity. He stresses indirect air movement — a small oscillating fan pointed at the back wall of the tent, never directly at the plants, because direct air will dry a single nug too fast. He explains how to manage day one when humidity spikes above 60 (open a vent, fold a flap, exhaust hot air) and says to aim toward 59% rather than 61% because humidity only drops after day one, especially in Colorado.

1. 1. Compress the dry into a small 3x3 or 4x4 tent so wet plants raise ambient humidity
2. 2. Run a small oscillating fan aimed at the back wall, not the plants
3. 3. On day one, zip the tent closed and monitor humidity after a few minutes to an hour
4. 4. If humidity spikes above 60%, open a flap, fold it over, or point the small fan out of the bottom flap to exhaust humid air
5. 5. Target 59% over 61% — humidity always drops on day 2, 3, 4
6. 6. Without automation, expect humidity to drift into the 50s and then 40s in a dry climate

4:45 — 6:32

Stem Snap Test Walkthrough

At day 12 Jeremy walks to the far side of the tent — the side furthest from the humidifier — and performs live stem snap tests on branches of different sizes. Big branches bend without breaking and he only hears leaf crumple. Small branches give a crunch. He explains that small branches are the early indicator, but he goes by the big branches for the actual decision. He clarifies the potato-chip sound: it does not have to snap in half, it just needs a crunch instead of a rubbery bend.

1. 1. Walk to the branches furthest from your humidifier — they will dry first
2. 2. Bend a thin side branch and listen — small branches give the first crunch
3. 3. Bend a main branch and listen for a potato-chip crunch (it does not have to break in half)
4. 4. If the main branch bends like rubber and only the leaves crumple, it is not ready
5. 5. Use the small-branch crunch as an early warning, but base the harvest-down call on the main branches

6:32 — 10:28

The Tub Rescue Method — Compartmentalizing a Too-Dry Room

Jeremy demonstrates the black-and-yellow tub he uses as a rescue container when the dry environment has fallen below target. If by day four RH is already in the 40s and stem snap is approaching too fast, he cuts whole plants off, labels them, fills tubs about half to three-quarters full, and leaves the lid cocked open on day one. Trapped moisture inside the stalks and nugs redistributes to the drier nugs inside the tub, effectively raising the micro-humidity back into the 60% range. This is his alternative to DJ Short's paper-bag method — he finds bags cause too much agitation. He contrasts this with the beginner error of jarring too early and then trying to burp out excess moisture, which creates the hay smell.

1. 1. If the tent drops into the 40s% RH by day 4 and stem snap is imminent, cut the plant off at the stem
2. 2. Use one tub per plant, or label if mixing plants in a tub
3. 3. Fill the tub only half to three-quarters full — do not pack solid
4. 4. On day one, leave the lid cocked open / not sealed
5. 5. Moisture inside stalks and nug cores redistributes and raises micro-humidity
6. 6. Check each day — if the herb has re-softened and moisture is redistributed, close the lid
7. 7. Keep the tub inside the same environment, not moved to a warmer area
8. 8. Hold indefinitely in the tub if the environment holds 60% — it can stay in stasis until trim
9. 9. Alternative (not Jeremy's preference): DJ Short paper bag method — roll top down, check daily

12:56 — 14:20

Hot and Humid Climate Adjustments

Jeremy walks viewers through the options for growers who cannot hit 60°F. At 75-85°F dry rooms you can still get good herb, but combining 85-90°F with 63% RH almost guarantees bud rot. His recommendation in hot rooms: drop humidity to around 55% instead of 60%, and boost airflow. Cold is rarely the problem — you want 60°F to keep the volatile terpenes from flashing off as chlorophyll breakdown and other chemical processes of a dying plant accelerate at warmer temperatures. He draws a parallel to living soil: cooler = less biological activity.

1. 1. If the dry room runs 75-85°F, accept the compromise but tighten other variables
2. 2. At 85-90°F, drop target humidity to around 55% RH to reduce bud rot risk
3. 3. Increase airflow in hot rooms
4. 4. Do not worry about cold — 60°F is the sweet spot for terpene preservation
5. 5. Understand that biology (chlorophyll breakdown, terpene loss) is less active at cooler temperatures — same as living soil

17:55 — 19:38

Curing, Jar Choice and the Long-Cure Myth

Jeremy addresses the 'do I need to cure?' question head-on. If the slow dry is done right, curing is optional: some herbs smoke great the day they jar, others benefit from a few weeks. He says after 24 hours in a jar the moisture goes wall-to-wall across every nug. He prefers smaller jars packed full over big jars with air space. He debunks the 6-month cure myth — he finds most herb is best inside a 6-month window and that herbs hanging around long-term were either not favorites or in oversupply. He likens opening a jar to opening a bottle of wine — a slight mellowing, but no magic long-cure transformation.

1. 1. Finish the slow dry — stem snap on main branches
2. 2. Transfer to jars — prefer smaller jars packed full over large jars with headspace
3. 3. Screw caps on and wait ~24 hours for moisture to redistribute wall-to-wall
4. 4. Smoke-test — some strains are ready immediately, some benefit from a few weeks
5. 5. Do not expect a 6-month cure to rescue or improve herb — consume within roughly 6 months for best results
6. 6. Target jar RH somewhere between 58% and 63% based on personal preference

15:56 — 17:55

Wet vs Dry Trim, Misinformation and Final Encouragement

Jeremy reflects on his own learning curve — racks, wet trimming, confusion from misinformation. He states flatly that the BuildASoil way is never wet trim, and that wet trim is only used on large commercial scale where it has to be. He encourages home growers to ask any grower with a great-tasting bowl how they dried — the answer will always involve a slow dry and humidity awareness. He repeats that this step, more than anything in the grow, determines whether the finished product actually smells and tastes like the genetics.

1. 1. Never wet trim at home — dry trim is the BuildASoil method
2. 2. Ignore the small drying-rack rush — let whole branches hang
3. 3. When you taste good herb, ask the grower how they dried — confirm the slow-dry pattern
4. 4. Accept that without slow drying, good genetics will still smell like hay