What it is
Removing most of the water from the freshly cut bud (it has about 75 %). It seems like a formality, but bad drying ruins a good harvest: it can end up smelling like grass, harsh to smoke or moldy.
The conditions
In the dark (light degrades THC).
Between 18 and 21 °C: with heat the aromas evaporate.
At 55 to 62 % humidity: drier, it dries too fast; more humid, mold.
With air gently moving in the room, but without a fan pointing at the plants.
How long it takes
7 to 14 days. Slower is better (more aroma), as long as no mold appears. Drying in 3 or 4 days traps the chlorophyll: grassy taste.
How to know it's done
The stem test: bend a small branch. If it bends like rubber, it needs more time. If it snaps with a "crack" but doesn't fully break, it is ready to jar. If it crumbles, it went too far (overdried). The outside of the bud feels dry, but it still has a bit of moisture inside: that gets finished in the cure.
🎮 Practice it in UnderGrow
The harvest is hung in the drying room (harvest button) and takes about 9 days (9 real h). If you jar it before 6 days it loses aroma; if you leave it too long, it overdries and loses aroma and flavor. Over 60 % air humidity mold can appear. The air of each drying room is that of your house changed by its gear, and it shows at the top left of the harvest screen. The ideal is 18 to 21 °C and 55 to 60 % humidity: it dries evenly and the harvest gains a little aroma and flavor. All drying rooms come with a dehumidifier (lowers air humidity to 55 %) and accept a humidifier, heater, a/c and controller; all of them use power while on.
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