While growers of marijuana use a one to two week flushing cycle just before harvest to remove unwanted material used in the cultivation process (such as pesticides or chemicals used to enhance the yield), there is a further step that some use to make their personal stash a very smooth smoke. It is referred to as Water Curing, and is a much shorter process designed to minimize the high concentration of chlorophyll and salts that can make for a harsh toke.

Using reverse osmosis water as a filtering agent, the water absorbs the molecules of solids from the plant since it is “hungry” for something to absorb. Since THC is not water soluble, it stays put. Water curing is a pretty simple process as it turns out, and there are advantages and disadvantages to using the method so we’ll touch on the good and bad and go over how to make it happen.

The Process:

  • Trim down your buds and removing the fan leaves. It’s optional to do further trimming, but cured trimmings also make better hash, so the trimmings are not wasted if you include them.

  • Place them in a large bowl, tub, or jar of Reverse Osmosis water, depending on the amount you are curing. If you have cats, the jar is probably the best method.

  • Keep the water temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit to facilitate the best rate of osmosis.

  • Use something to gently weigh them down and keep them submersed. A smaller bowl from your kitchen would probably do nicely.

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  • Once per day for 3-7 days, depending on personal preference, change out the water with clean fresh RO water.

  • Due to the high concentration of chlorophyll and salts in the buds and zero concentration in the water, osmosis will occur naturally and leech them out of the plant until the levels of each are equal.

  • Changing the RO water out keeps the osmotic pressure at its highest, as day old water will not have the same osmotic force to optimally suck out the solids.

  • After the 3-7 days simply hang and dry the buds like you normally would. That’s it!

 

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Who needs a fish tank? I could watch these babies swim around all day!

 

The only remotely challenging ingredient needed for the process is Reverse Osmosis water. The first option is to simply buy it. Many retailers have the bring-your-own-container water dispensers that allow you to select RO water from the menu. There are also a number of retailers that stock it. Just do a simple search for “Buy Reverse Osmosis Water” for your locale and you’re good to go.

If you really like the water cured weed and want to do it regularly, your second option can be to buy filtration systems from Walmart, Home Depot, and other common retailers. There are systems online as well, such as those here: http://www.freedrinkingwater.com. I would suggest making sure you really need it as it can cost upward of $200 dollars to implement a system and does waste some water.

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 Pros:

Healthier smoke with less impurities.

A much smoother hit, which for most means a larger hit without a hacking fit.

A stronger product per gram, as the process removes a third of the unwanted solids

 

Cons:

Less “bag appeal”, meaning that it looks less impressive after soaking.

Less smell and taste. This can be a deal-breaker for many since those qualities are a huge part of the enjoyment. In that regard, water curing the less desirable strains might be the best use of the method.

 

That’s our take on it. I haven’t personally had the pleasure of trying this, so please chime in on comments if you have some experience or more to add here. We’d love to hear of your experiences with it !

 

Images courtesy: www.tokecity.com and images.frompo.com.