Now Buds Can be Dried and Cured Perfectly in a Matter of Days

[image: Cannabis drying, curing and storing by ed Rosenthal]

Drying Cannabis Plants.

Cannabis cultivators of all types need to control every step of the process
from seed to smoke. Nurturing the life cycle of the plant is only the
beginning. After putting so much care into the cultivation process, it’s
critical to ensure buds are dried, cured, and stored in a clean, stable
environment that preserves terpenes, potency, and quality.
[image: Cannabis drying , curing and storing by Ed Rosenthal]

Placing fresh cut Cannabis flower on hangers.

Advances in cultivation have seen the dry and cure process evolve
significantly in recent years. Long gone are the days when towering stalks
were simply hang-dried next to a fan, ending up in totes or jars to cure
for weeks on end. We now live in a world where all buds, regardless of size
or density, can be dried and cured perfectly in a matter of days and stored
in a controlled environment ensuring the highest quality.

Enter Cannatrol.
[image: Cannabis drying , curing and storing by Ed Rosenthal]

Roughly trimmed cannabis flower on a Cannatrol rack. It is important not to
overcrowd the machine.

For home growers, the Cannatrol Cool Cure system is unlike any post-harvest
solution seen before. Deploying proprietary cutting-edge Vaportrol
technology, this unique process utilizes the power of vapor pressure to
achieve precise, uniform conditions—no matter how long the buds are stored.
Flower reaches equilibrium in the unit and is preserved until it’s time to
consume.

The sleek and stylish machine removes the need for burping and allows buds
to be dried, cured, and stored all in one. The sealed Cool Cure units give
cultivators the ability to accurately monitor and adjust the temperature
and dew point of the environment around the buds to create optimal drying
and curing conditions.
[image: Cannabis drying , curing and storing with Cannatrol by Ed Rosenthal]

But just how did this novel system come to be? The answer may surprise you.
*Meat, Cheese…and Cannabis?*

David and Jane Sandelman, the founders of VT Dry & Cure Technologies
(makers of the award-winning Cannatrol), discovered their game-changing
solution in a roundabout way.

The pair spent a decade at the helm of a farm-to-table inn and restaurant
in Vermont, developing long-lasting relationships with local cheese and
meat purveyors in the process. After discovering a need for humidity
control in cheese aging rooms, David put his background in electrical and
mechanical engineering to work.

The serial inventor (with 17 patents and counting under his belt) quickly
developed his proprietary Vaportrol Technology. The incredibly effective
solution was an instant hit in the cheesemaking world and soon spread to
the dry-aged and cured meats space.

Fast forward to 2017, when a chance meeting with one of Colorado’s largest
cannabis producers at the American Cheese Society’s annual conference in
Denver brought David’s tech to new levels. In their conversation, the
grower explained he needed technical assistance with the drying and curing
process.

It quickly became apparent the physics applied to systems for meat and
cheese also applied to the drying and curing of cannabis buds. It was at
that moment that Cannatrol drying, curing, and storage systems were born.

Fresh Cannabis Flower is ready to be dried and cured
*Water Activity: The Crux of Quality *

The Cannatrol mantra is, “you can't fool physics.” While the conditions
required for cheese, meat, and cannabis are all unique, the baseline
physics are the same. What do all three have in common? Controlled water
loss and proper final water content (water activity) are both critical to
finishing the product properly. All three require controlled water removal
and ultimately, they are all sold by weight. Over-drying any of these
products results in inferior, inconsistent product quality and the worst
part: lost profits.

Reducing the moisture content of a freshly cut cannabis bud is comparable
to curing salami. If the meat dries too quickly, water can get trapped
inside the casing causing the meat to become rancid. If the meat dries too
slowly, production time increases, and profits decrease.

The same principles apply when drying and curing cannabis. Once a harvest
is cut, the moisture content of the buds must be lowered at a controlled
level. Traditionally, this has been accomplished by regulating temperature
and humidity—along with a bit of hope and luck. But with Cannatrol, this
feat becomes simple. You can set it and forget it!
[image: Cannabis drying , curing and storing with Cannatrol by Ed Rosenthal]

Here you can see how well the curing and drying works.
*So, Why Use a Cool Cure?*

The goal in post-harvest is to produce material that has a low enough water
activity to prevent mold growth and prolong shelf life. If there is too
much moisture left in the buds, mold can grow. Mold is potentially unsafe,
especially for medical cannabis patients with compromised immune systems.

But if the buds are overdried, growers will lose those delicious volatile
terpenes that were so carefully cultivated. Dry cannabis is harsh to smoke,
less potent, and generally unpleasant.

In any traditional drying system, whether using a tent or a room, water is
constantly being removed from the flower. Unless at some point the flower
is removed from that space (let the burping begin!), it’s going to get
overdried. It’s a delicate balance.

The challenge is, if the flower is pulled too soon it will still be wet and
when you put it in that container to cure, the excess moisture can cause it
to go moldy. Proper burping lets that moist air out. The environment also
plays a big role. Are you in Florida in August, or are you in Vermont in
December? The air is completely different.

With the Cannatrol System, it’s a continuum. Moisture is pulled out of the
flower until it reaches equilibrium with the space. Once there, the flower
maintains that level until it’s time to smoke. Buds can be stored for
months and months, without fear of oxidation, terpene loss, or mold
development.

Every grower has their own style. Whether you prefer to buck and wet trim
or simply remove fan leaves prior to cure, the Cannatrol system will work
equally well. The end result will always be incredible buds that offer a
rich and robust smoking experience.

An additional feature is the fact that the unit holds your flower in the
perfect environment. Think giant humidor cabinet for all your favorite
strains.
*Cannatrol by the Numbers*

Specifically designed for the home grower, the Cool Cure is a fully
programmable system that holds up to 2.2 pounds of wet buds per cycle and
can store up to 4 pounds of finished flower in ideal conditions.

Each unit is pre-programmed with default settings; however, the settings
can be changed to program the temperature, dew point conditions, and cycle
duration according to personal preference.

The process starts with gentle controlled water removal. A dry cycle might
last anywhere from 4-7 days depending on the cultivar and personal
preferences. When the dry cycle is completed the flower will be at a stable
water activity level. Then, the unit cures each harvest in a perfectly
controlled environment— no burping or maintenance required.

When satisfied with the cure results, the buds can be stored right in the
unit. Like a wine cellar, the Cool Cure holds your carefully cultivated
cannabis until it’s ready to be consumed. The Cool Cure will hold about 4
pounds of dried buds in perfect condition for months to come. Some Cool
Cure owners use uncoated paper bags labeled with the strain and date of
harvest but the type of storage container you choose is completely up to
you.

Recently, VT Dry & Cure Technologies ran a side-by-side experiment with a
local grower and certified Ganjier in Vermont to analyze the effect that
Cannatrol’s post-harvest approach might have on finished flower. In
comparing bud that had been dried using a Cannatrol system compared to bud
dried via a traditional hang dry method followed by curing in mason jars,
the Cannatrol product was found to have significantly higher terpene levels
and higher potency.

In addition, taste tests from dispensary panels have shown that consumers
prefer flower dried in a Cannatrol product at a rate of 2-to-1 over
traditionally dried flower. If you are curious about the company check them
out here: Cannatrol

Drying and curing in the Cannatrol is easy and effective, but the muted
aroma of the flower when it emerges from the unit may surprise you. While
the terpene profile is far less robust initially, once you grind the bud to
smoke, you will be met with the rich aroma you expect. This change comes
from Cannatrol's unique technology, which essentially locks in terpenes to
prevent them from evaporating.



*Final Thought*

VT Dry & Cure sells both large-scale commercial systems and home grow
solutions worldwide. Cannatrol first began selling home grower-size units
in 2019. The company offers cultivators of all sizes the opportunity to
have an incredible level of control over the entire post-harvest process,
from drying and curing to long-term storage.

Scaled up is the line of DC Quick Start Systems, ready-to-go commercial
systems capable of handling up to 720 pounds of wet flower. Designed for
cultivators lacking infrastructure, the plug-and-play system arrives on two
pallets and can be set up within a day.

For the large cultivators, Cannatrol offers custom solutions that can be
installed during build-out or retrofitted into existing rooms.

Home growers, caregivers, and connoisseurs alike will love the Cool Cure
unit. Not only does it produce amazing, terpene-rich buds post-harvest, but
it also is a sleek, stylish, and smart way to store your entire stash.

If you want to learn more consider taking a look at the two books above.
You can find them in my store.