Want To Quick-Dry Your Cannabis? Here’s How To Dry Buds Quickly And Preserve Most Of Their Taste And Potency

As growers finish up their crops, they’re usually quite anxious to get to the goods. But when the normal drying and curing process takes weeks, impatience can arise quickly. If you’re looking to replenish your stash faster than normal or want to check if your buds are ready to harvest, quick-drying is a method you can try. While this is not recommended for high-quality bud, we’ve compiled a list of techniques you can implement with as little degradation as possible. If you’re in this predicament or expect to be soon, keep reading to find out how to quickly dry out your pot buds.

Why You Shouldn't Rush Drying And Curing

The drying and curing process is one of the most important to the entire growing process. Marijuana produces its beneficial cannabinoids in a process called biosynthesis, which doesn’t end after the plants have been chopped down. Over time, cannabinoids transform, like THCA converting into THC. This means that when completing the drying and curing process properly, you can actually increase the potency of your bud.

This is just one reason to avoid learning how to dry buds quickly. The other reason is taste. Terpenes are the aromatic centers of the marijuana bud that provide the strain’s scent and flavors. Since they can evaporate at temperatures of 70℉ (21℃)+, a proper cure at low temperatures is best for ultimate flavors and aromas.

When Quick-Drying Buds is Necessary

Of course, sometimes growers feel the need to begin quick-drying buds for testing. Especially if you’re a beginning grower or you’re growing a new strain, you may want to check to see if the plant is ready for harvesting. By quick-drying it, you’ll get an earlier sample of the fruits of your labor. Other times, you may just be running low and need additional flower to smoke. Either way, even though learning how to dry a single bud for use isn’t ideal, there are ways to accomplish this task.

How To Dry Buds Quickly

As you begin to learn how to quickly dry out your pot buds, you’ll notice many techniques require a few special materials. Peruse the list of methods below and decipher which is the most appropriate for your situation or easiest to accomplish. From there, follow the simple instructions and get ready to puff, puff, pass your pot buds sooner than expected.

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Laptop Fans And Brown Paper Bags

Our first method is a two-step process that involves brown paper bags and the type of fan found in most laptops. To use this technique, manicure your nugs and place them in the brown paper bag. If you don’t have a laptop with a cooling fan, leave the buds in the bag for 6 days total. If you do, remove the buds after 2-3 days and place them on a paper towel for the next step. Locate the cooling fan in your laptop and place the half-dried buds on the paper towel directly next to it. If your fan isn’t on either side of your laptop, place the paper towel and weed on the device’s keyboard. Leave the buds there for 1 hour, turning every 10 minutes or so to allow the warm air to cover the entire surface of the bud.

Drying Weed In A Boiler Room

Most homes have a boiler room or another area where your water heater or furnace is kept. This area is generally warm with little humidity, ideal for quick-drying buds for testing. You can place your buds in a paper bag again or put together a hanging system to place in the boiler room. Turn up the hot water heater, and your buds should be ready to consume in 3-4 days. Larger buds may take up to 6-7 days depending on moisture and exact temperatures. Keep in mind, however, that raising the temperatures on your water heater will lead to a spike in utility bills.

Sun-Drying Cannabis Buds

We’re throwing it back with the technique of sun-drying cannabis buds – a common method that has been used over the years by outdoor farmers. Even though heat and direct sunlight will decrease the quality of the bud, it’s an old-school technique that will get the job done fairly quickly. Again, put the buds into a brown paper bag and leave it open in the sun. We recommend weighing down the bag so the wind doesn’t swoop your early stash. After 1-2 days of sun-drying, your buds should be dry enough for smoking.

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Drying Buds In The Oven

Desperate times call for desperate measures. So, if you want to smoke your weed immediately, an oven is the way to go, degrading as it may be. Drying buds in the oven is by far one of the fastest methods on our list, but also one of the worst in terms of end quality. Turn your oven on the lowest heat possible and place your bud onto parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet. Keep an eye as your bud bakes, as this technique will only take a few minutes to work.

Drying Buds In A Microwave

Drying buds in a microwave is just a tad bit better than an oven, but not by much. You’ll still lose out on flavor and potency, but quick-drying buds for testing this way will work fast. Set your microwave on 40-50% power and nuke the buds 10 seconds at a time. Continue until your bud is dry enough for breaking up.

Steaming In A Microwave

Steaming your bud in a microwave allows trichomes to avoid bursting, allowing them to keep better flavor than other methods on the list. However, you will need a few additional supplies to do so. Gather 3 sheets of paper towel, a microwaveable tupperware container with a lid, and your bud. Place a paper towel at the bottom of the container and put your weed on it. Take the other two pieces and wet them so that they’re damp, wringing out any extra water. Lay the wet paper towels over the top of the container tightly so they cover it entirely. Place the lid just slightly over the container, closing it all the way except for a small corner for steam to exit. Put your tupperware in the microwave and set the power to 40%. Steam for 1 minute before checking on your bud. Let the steam evaporate for 15-20 seconds and change the bottom paper towel if it’s wet. Re-steam and repeat this process for 3-5 minutes until the bud is sufficiently dried.

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Drying Buds With Silica Gel

Our last method also requires a few special supplies that can be readily found. First is a canning or mason jar with a lid, and second is silica gel or desiccant crystals found at auto supply stores. Silica gel and desiccant crystal bags soak up the moisture from the bud for quick-drying. Simply place the bud you’ll be drying into the jar with the packs, then close the lid tightly. The smaller the jar, the better for less air overall.

To Quick-Dry Or Not To Quick-Dry

Although quick-drying buds for testing isn’t ideal, every grower finds themselves in a pinch now and then. So when asking yourself whether to quick-dry or not, at least now, you’ve learned how to dry buds quickly when you need to, and with the least amount of loss in potency and flavor. Use any of these methods as a way to do so, but leave the rest of your crop to dry slowly for the highest quality yields.

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