Drying Cannabis (Trunk Guide)
Drying is where most flavor gets wrecked. Hold stable temp and RH, use gentle airflow, then jar-test the handoff to cure without hay smell, mold, or harsh smoke.
Instant answer
- Dry slow enough to preserve aroma, fast enough to avoid mold.
- Control humidity and airflow. Don’t “blast dry” your harvest.
- When in doubt: measure RH/temps, don’t guess.
- Use a jar test to decide the handoff. You want stable moisture before cure.
Drying decision tree
| If | Check first | Do this now | Go deeper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hay or grass smell starts | Temp above 68°F, RH below 50%, strong fan, or wide swings. | Cool it down, raise RH slightly, and reduce airflow to gentle circulation. | Drying correctly |
| Jar test spikes above 65% RH | Inside is still wet even if the outside feels dry. | Keep drying, then retest later. Do not start curing yet. | Jar handoff method |
| Musty or ammonia smell | Mold risk, stale air, too-wet pockets. | Increase fresh-air exchange, lower RH, and inspect closely. Do not ignore bad smells. | Troubleshooting |
| Crispy outside, wet inside | Case hardening from low RH or direct wind. | Stop direct airflow, stabilize the room, then use the jar test to time the handoff. | Case hardening fixes |
Targets that matter
Drying quality is mostly environmental control. If you can’t describe your room by numbers, you’re guessing. Think of 60°F / 60% RH as a starting point, then adjust for your space.
| Control | Target | Why it matters | Bad sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature | About 60–68°F (15.5–20°C) | Heat accelerates terpene loss and “bakes” aroma out. | Fast dry, flat smell, harsh burn. |
| Relative humidity | About 55–62% (stable) | Too low dries the outside too fast; too high invites mold. | Hay smell, crispy outside / wet inside, or musty odor. |
| Air movement | Gentle circulation, not wind | Prevents wet pockets without stripping moisture from the surface. | “Windburn” dryness, aroma fades in 24–48 hours. |
| Air exchange | Fresh air turnover | Stale, humid air is how mold wins. | Clammy room, spikes at lights-on, condensation. |
| Light exposure | Dark (no sunlight) | Light + heat speeds degradation. | Color dulls, aroma drops fast. |
| Handling | Minimal | Every “check” is heat + oxygen + physical damage. | Dusty trichomes, bruised buds, weaker nose. |
Rule: stability beats “perfect numbers.” A steady 62% is better than bouncing between 45% and 70%.
7-day workflow (room dry)
- Day 0 (before chop): set the room first (temp/RH/airflow). Don’t harvest and then “figure it out.”
- Day 1–2: keep it stable. Gentle circulation in the room, not pointed at buds. Watch for RH creep.
- Day 3–4: check for wet pockets and uneven dry. If outsides crisp fast, you’re too dry or too much airflow.
- Day 5–7: start handoff testing. The goal is stable internal moisture, not “bone dry.”
Controlled dry option: if you dry in a sealed cabinet/box, set it around 58% RH for about a week, then move to cure at 62% RH.
Jar handoff tests (when to stop drying)
- Jar test (adult version): put a small sample in a jar with a hygrometer for 1–2 hours.
- If it climbs above ~65%: it’s still too wet. Continue drying and retest later.
- If it stabilizes around ~60–62%: you’re ready to move into cure.
- If it sits below ~58%: you dried too far. Expect weaker aroma and a harsher smoke.
If you want the full, step-by-step method and recovery options, go here: How to dry cannabis correctly.
If this is happening → go here
Hay smell or weak aromaMost often: dried too fast or uneven moisture. Fix the process.
Terpenes disappearing fastHeat, oxygen, and low RH are the usual culprits. Learn the real causes.
Confused about 58% vs 62%When each makes sense and what changes in the smoke.
Harsh smoke after dryOften a cure problem (or a moisture swing), not “bad genetics.”
Dark weed vibe / nasty bong waterCommon signs of poor dry + cure. Diagnose the pattern.
Everything feels offUse the system-wide troubleshooting map.
Failure modes (what to do now)
| Symptom | Likely cause | Do this now | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hay / grass smell | Dried too fast, too warm, or uneven internal moisture. | Slow the environment down (raise RH slightly, reduce airflow), then stabilize before cure. | Drying correctly |
| Musty / ammonia | Too wet, poor air exchange, or mold risk. | Increase fresh-air exchange, lower RH, inspect for mold. Don’t “power through” a bad smell. | Troubleshooting |
| Crispy outside, wet inside | Case hardening from low RH or direct airflow. | Back off airflow, stabilize RH, and retest with a jar hygrometer before curing. | Drying correctly |
| Flat / dark aroma | Heat + oxygen exposure during dry/storage. | Keep it cool, dark, and sealed when appropriate. Avoid frequent “checking.” | Terpene loss |
Minimal tool stack for drying
- Accurate temp/RH meter: if your meter is off by 5–10%, your “targets” are fantasy.
- Gentle fan: move air in the room, not at the buds.
- Humidity control: dehumidifier or humidifier depending on your climate.
- Jar hygrometers: for handoff testing (and sanity during cure).
Tools list and measurement rules: Tools (Operator Hub).
Top questions (straight answers)
- What’s “ideal” drying RH? Usually 55–62% with stability. If you can’t hold it steady, use the jar test to decide timing.
- Should a fan blow directly on buds? No. Direct wind dries the surface too fast and can flatten aroma.
- When can I move to cure? When a jar test stabilizes around 60–62%, not when stems “snap.”
- Wet trim or dry trim? Both can work. Environment control matters more than your trim preference.
- Why does the smell drop after harvest? Usually heat + oxygen + low RH. Genetics rarely “vanish” overnight by themselves.
- Can I fix overdried flower? You can improve texture, but you can’t fully restore lost aroma. Prevention beats rescue.
- How long should drying take? Usually about 5–10 days. Faster is not “efficient,” it is usually quality loss.
- My room is too dry or too humid—what now? Control it or change the container. A dry box/cabinet can be more stable than an open room.
Keep it boring
- Don’t chase the room: set targets, then let it run. Constant tweaks create moisture swings.
- No direct heat: heaters and hot closets dry fast and strip aroma.
- No direct fan: air should circulate around the space, not sandblast the flower.
- Stop “checking”: opening doors and handling buds adds heat, oxygen, and damage.
System rule: answer fast, then link deeper. Drying is a control problem: measure, stabilize, then decide.
Deep dives and supporting pages
Use these when you want specifics, not general advice.
Drying Cannabis Correctly (Even Dry, Clean Jar Handoff)Drying isn’t a timer. It’s a controlled slowdown. Dry evenly (not fast), stop swings, and hit a clean jar handoff so curing becomes easy.Why Cannabis Loses Terpenes After Harvest (and How to Stop It)Terpenes are lost through heat, airflow, low humidity, oxidation, and sloppy handoffs. Learn the exact failure modes and how to preserve aroma through dry and cure.Curing CannabisCuring is controlled moisture + time. If your RH swings, your flavor dies.58% vs 62% Curing Humidity (Use the Right One at the Right Time)62% finishes and stabilizes the cure. 58% locks the jar for storage. Use the right humidity at the right time for stable jars, clean burn, and preserved aroma.ToolsThe minimal tool stack that prevents most grow failures. If it doesn’t change decisions, it’s noise.Cannabis ER (Instant Triage)Search a symptom (hay smell, jar RH spikes, harsh smoke, not flowering) and jump to the best match with linked fixes.
FAQ
How do I stop the hay smell?
Hay smell is usually a too-fast dry, too-wet jar handoff, or heat plus airflow stripping aroma. Slow the dry, stabilize RH, and only jar when the sealed RH is in range.
How long should drying take?
Time is not the control variable. Drying typically takes about a week in a stable environment, but the correct stop point is the jar test and stable RH, not a calendar.
What RH should I aim for while drying?
Keep the room stable, avoid big swings, and use the jar handoff test to decide when to stop. If you cannot measure RH, fix that first.
Can I fix flower that dried too fast?
You can improve smoothness with a longer cure, but terpene loss is not fully reversible. The real fix is preventing the fast-dry failure mode next run.
Next steps
Cluster map
Deep pages in this cluster. Use these when you want specifics, not vibes.
FAQ
What is the safest drying target?
Aim for a slow, steady dry: roughly 60°F to 68°F and 55% to 62% RH, with gentle air movement. Fast drying is how you lose terpenes and end up with harsh smoke.
How long should drying take?
Typically 7 to 14 days. If it is done in 3 to 4 days, it was almost certainly too fast.
When is it ready for cure?
When small stems snap instead of bend, and the outside is dry but the buds are not crispy. If the outside is crispy and the inside still wet, you dried too hot or with too much airflow.
Why does weed smell like hay after drying?
Because the dry was too fast or too warm. Chlorophyll and plant volatiles did not break down evenly, and terpenes flashed off.