How to Burp Weed

Burping is a new method of curing your nugs that can increase flavour and potency that I recently learned about. We have covered a fair bit of curing and drying but this particular technique is quite new to me. I’ve heard nothing but good things so I think it would be a good idea to have a look into burping, what exactly it is, and how it can better your cannabis crop.

What Is Burping?

As I said, this is a method used during the curing process. Your weed is usually kept in total darkness in an airtight glass jar or container when it’s going through the curing process. Burping involves letting fresh air into the sealed jars at regular intervals to stop moisture and C02 from building up and messing with your final product quality. In other words, burping releases built-up gas and moisture periodically so you end up hopefully with better pot overall.

If you want to cure your cannabis correctly, you’ll need to know when and how to burp your nugs. This is a process that releases the built-up gases inside the jar, which is necessary for proper curing. While this technique is most commonly used in food fermentation, it can also be applied to other materials like cannabis.

Harvesting and Curing

If we want to talk about burping specifically, let’s first quickly go over the process of harvesting and curing your plants. There would be no point in utilizing this technique if you’re not doing everything else right. Once your plants enter the flowering period, they will usually need around two months before harvest. Some people choose to harvest without drying the plants while others hang themto dry completely before continuing with the curing process.

The drying process typically takes a week. During this time, the marijuana branches will be hanging upside down on a rack. The cannabis buds should not be bone-dry before you begin curing; if they are, it is too late to preserve flavor or quality. Ideally, the buds should have 30% moisture content before moving onto the next stage of cultivation. If they are wetter than this, there is a risk of complications during curing.

Even if you prefer to harvest your buds before they dry, make sure they’re completely dried out before beginning the curing stage.

Many people will dry and cure their herbs in a sealed glass jar, but some prefer using a paper bag because it allows more moisture to escape. If your buds are still too damp, burping them in a sealed jar is an effective way to remove the excess moisture.

Why Burping?

This is a very simply answer. When you seal wet plant matter inside a jar, the plant matter will break down and release moisture. If too much moisture builds up, you risk getting mold growing among your plants. Your plants will also release CO2 while they are curing, and if you aren’t careful this can really build up inside the jar.

The last thing you want is for your glass jar to crack or break into your buds. Even if your jar isn’t in danger of breaking and your plants don’t go mouldy, it’s definitely true that your buds will likely not taste as good or be the best quality.

 How To Burp?

We call this process burping because it releases gas and moisture from the sealed space, much like when our bodies do it. Releasing these things is crucial for the curing process. There is no strict way to burp your buds but here are a few different options.

The most apparent way to do this is by opening the jar which will allow the gas and moisture to escape. When you do this, it’s best to shake or shimmy the jar a bit so that all of the nugs move around and can release any trapped moisture. Although, some people believe that this method isn’t enough and too much moisture might still be present amongst the buds.

If you have a lot of weed to cure at one time, some growers prefer to remove all the buds and spread them out on paper towels or newspapers. This helps ensure that there is no moisture build-up in pockets that you might not be able to reach.

According to horticulturists, you should burp your cannabis buds once a day for approximately 10 seconds. If you grow many cannabis plants together, the duration will be longer. After the first week of growth, though, most growers believe that every two days is sufficient because by then, gas and moisture production slows down significantly.

Depending on your preference, you should only need to cure your buds for approximately three weeks. Some growers say that the longer you can wait, the better taste and stronger effects your buds will have.

In order to ensure your weed stays fresh, you will need to continually burp it as long as it is in a jar. Even though the amount of byproducts produced will gradually decrease, it will never fully disappear. Moreover, since you are not storing it in a vacuum, moisture and other elements will always find their way in each time you open or close the jar.

Conclusion

Burping your nugs may not be necessary, but if you want to ensure the best buds and prevent mouldy growth, I would recommend it.