Properly grown, dried and cured flowers burn smoothly and taste flavorful. The smell and flavor come from the terpenes and flavonoids in the buds. Terpenes also contribute to the strain’s specific effects.

For buds to be proud of, think “low and slow.” cannabis dryer and curing flowers takes time and patience, but the finished buds are worth the wait.

”Low” refers to temperature. Terpenes evaporate at different temperatures, and some at slightly below room temperature. When the air is fragrant with flower odors, the buds are losing their terpenes. Improperly dried and cured buds lose terpenes due to evaporation.

For example, the terpene myrcene — found in mango fruit, hops, bay leaves, eucalyptus, lemongrass and cannabis — evaporates at just 68º F (20º C). In addition to contributing to the smell, myrcene has analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant and anti-anxiety properties and helps THC cross the blood/brain barrier. Terpenes are essential to cannabis consumers. Buds must be dried at low temperatures for the terpenes to be preserved. Drying at low temperatures and moderate humidity takes longer, hence “low and slow.”

Keeping the area clean is imperative when slowly drying buds at low temperatures. Do not allow pets in the area because they shed fur and dander that become airborne and catch on sticky buds. Workers should wear gloves. Fungal spores and bacteria are ubiquitous and germinate under favorable conditions: moist environment, weed dryer, temperatures between 50 and 70° F (10-21° C) and an acidic surface on the host.

Buds infected with powdery mildew are considered unfit for smoking but have not been implicated in any human ailments. Buds attacked by bacteria turn brown and crispy. When anaerobic bacteria attack, they emit an acrid ammonia gas that turns buds to mush.

Under cool conditions the plant’s Leaf Trimmer Machine stay alive for up to 72 hours after cutting. During the early part of drying, the plant consumes some of its store of water and carbohydrates. Dried too fast, the buds use fewer starches, resulting in a harsher smoke. Cells on the surface of the plant die first, and the ones farther inside die last. During the first stage of drying, water loss is rapid. At the same time some of the chlorophyll degrades, creating a smooth smoke. Buds dried slowly and then cured for a few weeks develop the smooth draw of fine herb. Rushed drying locks in chlorophyll leaving a “green,” minty taste and a rougher smoke.