The 5 Most Common Cryo Cure Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)

The 5 Most Common Cryo Cure Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)

Cryo Cure’s innovative machines and patented process make it possible to produce top shelf Live Resin Flower, perfectly preserved cannabis that offers a consumption experience like no other. However, in order to end up with Live Resin Flower, it’s important to utilize Cryo Cure’s machines properly and follow the process closely. Avoid these common mistakes when using Cryo Cure’s machines to guarantee you’ll get optimal, fresh frozen Live Resin Flower every time.

Mistakes to avoid when Cryo Curing cannabis

To achieve the unparalleled quality and preservation that Cryo Cure offers for cannabis flower, you must properly maintain the machines and follow the process correctly. Take care to avoid the following mistakes by adhering to the simple solutions below, and you can be confident that your Cryo Cure machine will turn out top shelf cannabis flower time and again.

1. Failing to check vacuum pump oil levels

Before each use, it’s important to check the oil levels in the vacuum pump to ensure there isn’t too much or too little fluid visible through the sight glass.

A common reason why there may be too much fluid is vapor pull-through, which occurs when the ice bank cannot condense the ice quickly enough. As a result, some of the vapor removed from the buds during the Cryo Cure process makes its way into the vacuum pump, where it recondenses into a liquid and raises the fluid levels in the vacuum pump. This can disrupt the vacuum in future production runs and lead to sublimation issues, preventing the optimal preservation of your cannabis flower.

On the other hand, if oil levels are too low, you run the risk of damaging components in the machine. Oil is necessary for lubricating moving parts to prevent friction and overheating. Maintaining oil levels can extend the longevity of your Cryo Cure machine and the components within it. 

Solution: Simply check oil levels regularly and change as needed. At Cryo Cure, we recommend maintaining the oil level at the halfway point of the sight glass. Additionally, the oil should appear clean and clear. If it looks cloudy or murky, you should immediately change the oil.

2. Failing to clean the seals on vacuum doors

If you don’t frequently clean the seal on your machine’s vacuum doors, it’s only a matter of time before a vapor gap forms, creating a leak and preventing the machine from creating a vacuum. Without a vacuum, the cannabis flower will effectively defrost during the cycle, damaging terpenes and bud aesthetic. Worse yet, premature defrosting often results in elevated moisture content, which increases the risk of microbial contamination from molds and mildews.

Solution: Thoroughly clean the seals on vacuum doors before and after each use of a Cryo Cure machine. During a cycle, monitor the vacuum gauge to ensure a vacuum is established before walking away from the machine.

3. Improperly freezing flower

Prior to putting your cannabis flower through a cycle in a Cryo Cure machine, it’s critical to properly freeze it.

One common mistake is not freezing biomass at low enough temperatures or for long enough durations. Freezing your cannabis at -10℉ for one hour will not be sufficient to completely freeze the moisture within the buds. For Cryo Cure’s preservation process to work, all of the moisture content must be completely frozen.

Another common error is packing the wet biomass in bags and then loading it into the freezer. When this happens, partial sublimation will occur, which  results in freezer burn. Think of a frozen steak left in the freezer for too long — it’s the same principle here. This freezer burn can damage sensitive compounds like terpenes. Once the biomass is removed from the bags, it will be stuck together in a big block that must be broken apart. This ruins the aesthetic of the buds Live Resin Flower is known for.

Solution: Ensure flower is thoroughly frozen by setting your freezer to at least -10°F. Depending on the volume of biomass you intend to freeze, you should leave your flower in the freezer for anywhere between 2 to 12 hours. The more biomass you’re freezing, the longer you should let it chill. Also, avoid freezing your buds in bags or other closed containers; instead, leave them exposed to the elements of the freezer. For best results, we recommend using WavDri Drying Trays, which easily stack and offer multiple flat surfaces to evenly spread buds for freezing.

4. Measuring moisture content and water activity incorrectly

The main objective of Cryo Cure’s process is to reduce moisture content and water activity (aW) to the ideal levels for preserving freshness, flavor, and potency for the long term. The only way to be certain that you’ve done so is to measure both moisture content and water activity with the appropriate devices.

Some producers prefer to gauge the quality of a cure by feeling the bud, and many are quite exceptional at doing so. However, if you want the absolute best results, it pays to use the right tools for precise measurement.

Solution: Always use a moisture meter and water activity meter, scientific instruments designed to precisely measure moisture content and water activity. The ideal moisture content in Cryo Cured flower is between 8% and 12%, while optimal water activity is below 0.7 aW. If you are unable to procure a moisture meter or water activity meter, leave a small section of stem on your flower when Cryo Curing it so you can perform the “snap test.” The stem of properly cured flower should pop when it’s bent. If it doesn’t, the flower is likely too wet. Similarly, if it’s extremely brittle, the flower is likely too dry.

5. Using low quality cannabis

This mistake is as simple as the old adage “garbage in, garbage out.” If you want to end up with high quality Cryo Cured flower, you need to start with high quality, fresh cannabis. Cryo Cure is best to make top shelf flower better. This process excels at preserving cannabinoids, terpenes, and the aesthetic of the bud, but these elements need to be worth preserving if you’re hoping to produce true Live Resin Flower

Solution: Don’t use Cryo Cure on mids and expect the machine to magically turn it into fire.

The Cryo Cure process results in quality, every time

Cryo Cure machines are designed to simplify, improve, and expedite the drying and curing process, but they’re not a magic bullet. In order to get the best results, it’s critical to properly maintain your machine and adhere to Cryo Cure’s patented process. By keeping the five mistakes listed above in mind, and the simple solutions that can help you avoid them, you’ll be well on your way to producing top shelf flower quickly and easily. 

If you’re interested in how Cryo Cure can help you level up your cannabis flower, check out our selection of Cryo Cure machines. Whether you’re a craft grower or commercial producer, there’s a Cryo Cure model for you. We promise after your first cycle, you’ll be amazed by the difference Cryo Cure makes.

How To Produce Top Shelf Cannabis That Stands Out

How To Produce Top Shelf Cannabis That Stands Out

Cultivating top shelf cannabis flower takes time, patience, and resources, but the reward in the end is a premium cannabis flower that speaks for itself. Of course, there are a lot of factors that contribute to the overall quality of cannabis flower; virtually everything a plant experiences throughout its life can influence the final product. To cultivate truly top shelf flower, the process requires attention to detail and reliance on the latest best practices and techniques the cannabis industry has to offer.

What is top shelf cannabis?

Top shelf cannabis is flower that’s often above and beyond what’s typically sold in a dispensary. This could be judged on the size of the bud, levels of THC and other cannabinoids, terpene levels, and other factors. 

Everything from bag appeal to nose and flavor to the consumption experience will be demonstrably exceptional, even to the most experienced consumers. Truly premium cannabis can be identified by its appearance, aroma, consistency, and experience, all of which belies the effort a cultivator puts into growing such high quality buds. 

What goes into producing top shelf cannabis?

The best cultivators maintain tightly controlled environments so their plants experience the ideal growing conditions throughout their entire life cycle and post-harvest. Here’s an overview of some of the key aspects that go into producing top shelf cannabis.

Genetics

Everything starts with genetics. Genetics affect everything about your plant, including potency, flavor, appearance, yield, overall health and durability, and the consumption experience. 

To grow top shelf flower, you need top shelf genetics, so sourcing your seeds from reliable breeders who focus on quality is always key. Whatever cultivar you plan to grow, be sure the parents of your seeds were strong, healthy flowers chosen by the breeder specifically for their exceptional traits. 

Sourcing top shelf genetics requires establishing a relationship and partnership with breeders you can trust. For any cultivator interested in consistently producing the very best flower, networking with breeders and understanding how they develop their seeds is a crucial step.

Grow medium

Once you’ve acquired your seeds and confirmed the quality of the genetics, it’s time to select a grow medium. Each cultivator has their own preferences when it comes to growing medium. Some work with a soil mix, others prefer soilless mediums like coco coir, and some rely on hydroponics. There’s no right or wrong medium, necessarily, but there are some key considerations that apply no matter what medium you select.

  • pH levels: Cannabis plants require a slightly acidic grow medium in order to take up nutrients. If pH falls outside the optimal range, it doesn’t matter how many nutrients are available, the plant will not be able to make use of them. Exactly how acidic the medium should be depends on which you’ve chosen. Soil mixes should range between 6 and just below 7. For coco coir or hydroponic grows, aim slightly more acidic in the 5.5 to 6.5 range. Some fluctuation of pH in these ranges is desirable, as it will ensure the full range of nutrients are taken up by the plant during its life cycle.
  • Nutrients: Cannabis plants need a range of nutrients to grow to their fullest potential. These include three key micronutrients: nitrogen, which promotes leaf and stem growth in both the vegetative and flowering stage; phosphorus, which encourages the growth of big, healthy buds in the flowering stage; and potassium, which encourages strong plants that won’t wilt. In addition, cannabis plants can benefit from macronutrients like boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, silicon, and zinc.
  • Microbes: For soil grows, certain bacteria and fungi are beneficial for cannabis plants, creating a symbiotic relationship in the grow medium that makes nutrients more bioavailable to the plant. This is important to optimize growth and bloom. Some beneficial microbes include endomycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi, microorganisms that serve to decompose minerals so nutrients can be better absorbed by the root system. These microorganisms can also serve to ward off pests and diseases that can harm cannabis plants.

Cultivation environment

Finally, the environmental conditions in the grow room are critically important to growing top shelf cannabis. Even if you start with the best genetics and your grow medium and nutrients are precisely optimized, environmental conditions still need to be ideal in order to produce top shelf flower. Some of the most important factors in a grow room environment include:

  • Temperature and Humidity: The ideal temperature and relative humidity for cannabis plants changes throughout its life cycle, like most conditions that influence its growth. During the vegetative stage, when a plant is producing most of its leaves and experiencing stem and node growth, temperature should range between 70℉ and 78℉, while humidity should remain between 45% and 55%. During flowering, both temperature and humidity should drop a bit to simulate the end of the growing season, signaling to the plant it is time to put all its energy into growing big, resinous buds that can be fertilized before winter so it can drop its seeds and make way for the next generation. During flowering, temperature should range from 68℉ to 75℉, while humidity should range from 35% to 45%.
  • Light: Cannabis plants not only need the right brightness of light for the appropriate amount of hours each day, they also need the right spectrum of light. In the vegetative stage, cannabis plants require a minimum of 13 hours of light each day, though many cultivators opt for as many as 18 hours of light. During the flowering stage, plants need up to 12 hours of light per day. Additionally, the ideal light spectrum for cannabis plants in their vegetative stage is blue light at a wavelength between 400 and 500 nm, while during flowering they do best with red light between 620 and 740 nm.
  • Stress: Some stress is good for cannabis plants, but too much will overwhelm them. Think of it like working out: lifting weights is good to a point, but overtraining will result in injury. In nature, cannabis plants deal with strong winds and animals passing by, so simulating this with techniques like low stress training, supercropping, and topping can be helpful to encourage strong growth. Just be careful not to over-stress your plants.

Drying and curing

The way in which cannabis is dried and cured after harvest is critical not only to its quality but also to its shelf life. Drying and curing cannabis is intended to reduce moisture content to optimal levels to prevent contamination by mold and mildew, as well as improve smokability and preserve the maximum amount of cannabinoids and terpenes. 

Traditionally, mature cannabis plants are chopped down and hung from a string or wire in a drying room. The conditions in the drying room are important; temperature should range from 60℉ to 70℉ and humidity should range from 45% to 55%. Ideally, the drying room should be kept dark as well, because light can cause cannabinoid and terpene degradation. Finally, airflow is needed to ensure the buds are evenly dried. Most cultivators will use cold air flowing from the ceiling to the floor.

Once the drying process is complete, the dried flower must be cured to equalize the moisture content throughout all the buds. To do so, the dried flower is placed in an airtight container, such as plastic bags. During this process, the remaining moisture in the larger buds will be absorbed by the smaller ones, resulting in a balance.

This process can take weeks in total to get the flower to an ideal place, where its moisture content ranges from 8% to 12% and water activity is no more than 0.6 aW, the ideal conditions to preserve flower for the long haul and reduce the risk of contamination.

Drawbacks of conventional drying and curing

While taking great care to ensure conditions in the drying room are ideal, conventional approaches to drying and curing leave a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, even the most meticulous cultivators will inevitably see a degradation of their flower’s quality during this process, which takes weeks to complete.

Cannabinoid and terpene degradation

During that time, even favorable environmental conditions will cause the degradation of cannabinoids and terpenes. These compounds naturally degrade over time when exposed to oxygen, light, heat, and humidity. And while cultivators can control these conditions in their dry room, degradation is natural and will inevitably occur over the weeks it takes to dry and cure the flower. 

Dulled and shrunken buds

Additionally, as the flower is dried and cured, the buds tend to shrink. As moisture is evaporated from the buds to preserve them, the fluffy, bountiful appearance diminishes and some of the vibrant colors that can be viewed at harvest fade. This results in reduced bag appeal, which can directly impact sales.

What about freeze drying?

To try and get around these drawbacks, some cultivators have tried freeze dryers for the drying and curing process. And while freeze dryers indeed significantly reduce the time the process takes, freeze dryers that aren’t specifically built for cannabis cause additional problems that ruin the integrity of the flower. 

Zapping the moisture out of freshly harvested buds leaves them too dry. While the purpose of drying and curing is to reduce moisture content, it is important that roughly 6% to 12% moisture content remains for the flower to retain its freshness. Overly dry flower not only produces a harsh smoke but will also lose all its terpenes, eviscerating its aroma and flavor. 

Additionally, the trichomes of freeze dried flower will be extremely brittle and liable to break off, reducing the potency of the bud. In other words, freeze drying top shelf flower with equipment not made specifically for cannabis is a sure way to diminish quality.

While top shelf flower remains high quality after the conventional drying and curing process, it’s not the very best it can be. Luckily, there’s a better way to preserve top shelf flower at its very best and help cultivators realize a return on their investment much more quickly.

Beyond top shelf: Producing Live Resin Flower with Cryo Cure

Cryo Cure’s patented method of drying and curing cannabis flower not only expedites the process to as short as 11 to 14 hours, it also ensures that cannabinoids and terpenes are preserved at their freshly harvested levels and that moisture content remains in that ideal 6% to 12% range. There’s no shrinkage or dulling of the buds, cannabinoid and terpene content remains at its maximum, and your top shelf flower remains just that — top shelf. 

That’s why we call freshly harvested flower dried and cured using Cryo Cured “Live Resin Flower.” It’s as close as you can get to cannabis flower on a live plant, only in a smokable form that provides a smooth, flavorful experience. The consistency of the bud speaks for itself, as well; there’s no need for a grinder with Live Resin Flower, which easily breaks apart in your hand thanks to its ideal moisture content. 

Take top shelf to the next level with live resin flower

When you’ve put all your time, energy, and care into growing top shelf flower, make sure it stays that way when it reaches your customers. From bag appeal to aroma and flavor, potency to consumption experience, Cryo Cure ensures the quality of your top shelf flower shines through even after the long trip to market. 

What Is Solventless Extraction?

What Is Solventless Extraction?

Solventless extracts create high quality concentrates without the use of solvents like butane or ethanol. Many consumers flock to solventless extracts for their purity and potency, as some compounds may be affected by the solvent-based extraction process. What makes these so unique? This guide to solventless extraction pulls the curtain back on how these products are made and the kind of flower that makes for optimal solventless extracts.

The basics of solventless extraction

A solventless extract is any type of cannabis concentrate product produced using heat, pressure, ice, or water to mechanically separate trichomes from biomass. The collected trichomes, which are densely packed with cannabinoids and terpenes, can then be used to produce concentrates or extracts.

Solventless extraction methods in the modern sense are relatively new, but the concept behind it dates back to ancient civilizations. The earliest forms of hash can be traced back to Persia and Central Asia, made by simply rubbing cannabis flower to gather trichomes and resin and press it into a brick. Later down the line, the development of sieves allowed manufacturers to more effectively separate trichomes from the plant and produce even purer versions of hash. 

Today, manufacturers are able to take these principles of mechanical separation to a new level by using modern extraction technologies and processes. This allows them to not only produce highly potent varieties of hash, but also turn them into solventless extracts like rosin.

What is the difference between solvent-based and solventless extraction?

Solvent-based extraction relies on the use of a solvent like the hydrocarbons butane and propane or the alcohol ethanol to separate cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. Solventless processes do not require the use of solvents at all. In most cases, means of mechanical separation, heat, and pressure are used to produce extracts. 

The key difference in the final product is that solventless extracts will contain no residual solvents at all. Solvent-based extracts are generally purged and refined to remove lingering solvents, which can result in an unpleasant aftertaste. In the most egregious cases, trace amounts of solvent may be detected on a lab test and make these concentrates ineligible for sale at a dispensary.

During the purging process of solvent-based extracts, the extract is exposed to some level of heat; the precise temperature depends upon which solvent is used. Skipping this process allows solventless extract manufacturers to preserve terpenes during extraction, which degrade when exposed to heat. The end result is a more flavorful and aromatic extract that may offer additional therapeutic benefits thanks to the entourage effect.

Is solventless extraction better?

Solventless extracts are considered a premium product because they typically offer higher terpene content than their solvent-based counterparts, delivering the natural taste and smell of the plant. This makes solventless extracts a top choice among cannabis consumers who like to try different cultivars and compare the overall experiences. You can also be sure solventless extracts contain no residual solvents, which reduce the quality of the extract. At the end of the day, it comes down to your personal preferences. There are plenty of solvent-based extract lovers out there, as well as fans of solventless extraction.

What about “solvent-free” products?

Note that you may sometimes see labels that read “solvent-free.” Generally, these are not solventless extracts, but instead solvent-based extracts that have been thoroughly purged to remove any residual solvent from the final product. If you want truly solventless products, look for labels that read “solventless” or “non-solvent” instead.

What types of solventless extraction methods are there?

There are many solventless extraction methods out there, and as the cannabis industry innovates new processes are being developed all the time. However, there are a few common solventless extraction methods that stand out, including:

1. Dry sifting

Dry sifting is a method used to produce the solventless concentrate hash. Relying on the original principles used by ancient civilizations, manufacturers agitate dried cannabis flower over fine mesh screens, separating the trichomes from the plant material to produce kief. The kief can then be subjected to heat and pressure to be pressed into potent bricks of hash.

2. Ice water extraction

Ice water extraction involves agitating freshly harvested cannabis flower in near-freezing water to separate the trichomes from the plant. The near-freezing temperatures make the trichomes brittle and snap off when agitated in a wash machine. The separated trichomes are then sifted through a series of fine sieves to separate them from the water. Once collected, the trichomes are scraped from the sieves and allowed to dry (often using a freeze dryer) into bricks of “bubble hash.” 

3. Rosin pressing

Rosin is a solventless extract that can be produced from kief or hash (usually bubble hash) by loading it into a device called a rosin press. A rosin press features two metal plates arranged like a vice grip, which are heated and then used to squeeze the bricks of hash. When pressed, a potent, viscous oil is squeezed from the hash; this is rosin. 

When using fresh frozen flower, like Cryo Cure’s live resin flower, the result of this process is called “live rosin.” That’s because it contains the optimal amount of cannabinoids and terpenes, captured from flower that is preserved to remain as fresh as the day it was harvested with a superior shelf life

What contributes to solventless extract quality?

Solventless extract quality is dependent on three major factors: the quality of the cannabis flower used as an input; the equipment used in the manufacturing process; and the techniques applied in the process itself. 

Product

The final product of any extraction process is only going to be as good as the quality of the flower that goes into it. Starting with high-quality, well-preserved flower is the only way to get top quality extract. That’s why we recommend working with Cryo Cured Live Resin Flower. The flower that results from our patented process is perfectly preserved following harvest, ensuring maximum cannabinoid and terpene content remains intact before the extraction process begins.

Equipment

The equipment used in any extraction process is also critical, as it should be efficient and well-maintained. Manufacturers have access to equipment like commercial-scale agitators and rosin presses to produce potent, pure extract at scale. Processing large volumes of biomass quickly is now possible thanks to this equipment, so incorporating it into the manufacturing process is key. Additionally, maintaining, sterilizing, and cleaning equipment after each production run ensures that every batch will be the highest possible quality.

Process

Extraction is both an art and a science, and every manufacturer will have their own unique twist on the process. However, once a process is developed, it can also be standardized so it can be easily repeated. This results in reliable quality products that are the same every time, which helps to support customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. So, when a manufacturer develops a process they feel sets them apart from the competition, they can develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) so their team is able to replicate the process time and again.

Solventless extraction results in clean, terpene-rich extracts

Cannabis enthusiasts love solventless extracts for their comparatively high terpene content and the aromas and flavors they produce. Additionally, consumers who prefer a clean product can rest assured that solventless extracts contain absolutely no residual solvents, because none are needed in their production. With these benefits, it’s no surprise that solventless extracts are becoming a hugely popular choice amongst consumers in every legal cannabis market. For manufacturers who want to stand out in this growing space, making the best solventless extracts is a matter of using the best flower, which is where Cryo Cure’s Live Resin Flower comes in. To maximize flavor and potency, you can’t do better than Live Resin Flower.

How Cryo Cure Simplifies Trimming Cannabis

How Cryo Cure Simplifies Trimming Cannabis

It can be considered one of the most tedious aspects of cannabis cultivation, but properly trimming cannabis after (or before) it’s dried and cured can make all the difference in the dispensary. Removing excess material from your cannabis not only provides a more aesthetically pleasing flower, but it creates a higher quality product that your customers will want to keep coming back to enjoy. However, this is a notoriously tedious process done by hand; no machine has come close to the intricacy of the hand-made trimming process. Here’s how Cryo Cure makes it much easier to bring beautifully trimmed bud to market.

What is cannabis trimming?

At face value, cannabis trimming is exactly what it sounds like—it’s the process of cutting fan leaves, sugar leaves (also known as sweet leaves), and manicuring the bud to create a more aesthetically pleasing finished product.

While cannabis trimming is why our favorite cultivars look the way they do, the process is not solely done for bag appeal. Removing leaves can benefit the overall results of the final product. Trimming unnecessary moisture-holding material helps minimize the chance pathogens like mold and mildew will form, and it can also impact the taste and smell of your cannabis. The plant pieces left over from manicuring, commonly referred to as “trim” or “shake,” are also sold separately to consumers or can be used to make other types of cannabis products.

How is cannabis trimmed?

Conventionally, there are two ways that most cultivators trim their cannabis. You can either do all your trimming by hand or you can use specialized machinery to handle most of the process for you. There are good and bad aspects of both methods, so it’s important that you weigh your options before deciding on one over the other.

Hand trimmed

If you imagined someone sitting at a table with a pair of scissors carefully snipping away at a cola of cannabis, then you’re pretty much already there. Hand trimming begins first with the removal of the large fan leaves, which typically do not contain a significant amount of phytocannabinoid and terpene-containing trichomes. After removing the fan leaves, the buds can then be cut from the stem.

Only once the buds are more easily accessible can the more intensive side of hand trimming take place. Any leftover fan leaf remnants are cut away and the tiny sweet leaves are trimmed away from the buds. It’s at this stage that the buds are shaped and trimmed.

It’s important to note that cannabis is a very fickle plant that’s susceptible to contamination from bacteria, mold and other problem factors. While trimming the flower, it’s absolutely paramount that scissors used in the process are properly sterilized and that gloves and other PPE as required are worn at all times.

Benefits of hand trimming:

  • Trimming the plant by hand gives the cultivator complete control over their product, resulting in a more uniform, manicured flower.
  • Any trichomes that fall off the plant during trimming can be collected for future use.
  • Hand trimming lets the cultivator more easily check for contaminants.
  • This method does not require expensive, specialized machinery.

Disadvantages of hand trimming:

  • Trimming each bud by hand takes a significant amount of time, which only prolongs time to market.
  • If you want the hand trimming process to go faster, you’re going to need more hands, and that means hiring more people to speed up the work.
  • Cutting up any kind of plant results in a mess. Cannabis is extra messy due to the resins, leaves, and trichomes that can fall off the plant or stick to your tools and your hands.

Machine trimmed

While hand trimming cannabis gives the cultivator a level of personal control over their product, machine trimming brings speed. By removing human interaction with the plant and replacing it with raw efficiency, machine trimming removes excess plant material in less time and with lower labor-related overhead.

There are scores of machine trimmers on the market today, each with their own set of features and functionality. There are machines ranging from $170 for a hand-cranked model to several thousand dollars for a machine that can churn out 50 pounds of wet or 10 pounds of dry buds per hour — and that’s not even the most expensive or impressive trimming machine! The ultimate cost depends on how much product you intend to trim on a consistent basis.

Benefits of machine trimming:

  • These machines can be easy to use, usually requiring one or two people to operate them at any given time.
  • Machine trimming is significantly faster than hand trimming.
  • By using a machine to trim your bud, you will need fewer employees to handle this step in your cultivation process, reducing the labor needed and the human touch points that can contaminate flower.
  • Since the trimming is confined to the machine, there’s not as much mess as there would be with hand trimming.

Disadvantages of machine trimming:

  • Without any direct control over the trimming process, less-than-stellar bud can still make it to the dispensary shelf, where customers take notice.
  • Machines are not as discerning when it comes to the final aesthetics of the bud, making it possible that the result is less visually pleasing.
  • Trichomes are often lost at a much more consistent rate in machine trimming than they are when trimmed by hand.
Dry trimming vs. wet trimming

You’ll also need to consider when you trim. If you’re inclined to begin trimming immediately after harvest, that’s considered “wet trimming.” If you decide you want to wait to trim your bud until after the drying and curing process, then you’d be “dry trimming.”

When it comes to wet trimming, most people consider using this method because it allows for a more uniform drying experience. That’s because the additional leaves carry moisture that can negatively impact humidity levels in a drying room. Moisture is your enemy when drying and curing your cannabis, and that extra moisture adds time to the drying process. Removing excess plant material also means you can fit more buds onto a drying rack without crowding it.

One of the biggest benefits of wet trimming is that sugar leaves haven’t had time to dry up and curl into the bud. Since they stick straight out from the bud itself, those leaves become much easier to remove by hand. That comes at the cost of everything getting dirty and sticky, as the plant’s trichomes will get everywhere and create a mess.

Conversely, dry trimming allows for a longer and more deliberate curing time. That slower cure creates a bud that’s more flavorful, yet at the cost of potentially diminished aesthetics. Still as the leaves remain on the bud, more moisture is retained, leading to a lower rate of terpene loss. That being said, dry trimming is harder to do by hand since the leaves have wilted and curled onto the bud. Also, the longer drying and curing time means the buds themselves are significantly more brittle. Brittle bud means a higher likelihood that you will lose more trichomes in the trimming process.

How Cryo Cure improves the trimming process

While Cryo Cure is not made for trimming cannabis, our customers report back that our patented machines have a significant impact on the entire harvesting process, including trimming. The freeze drying technology at the heart of the Cryo Cure process makes cannabis trimming a much less daunting process.

Fans of dry trimming enjoy using our machines on their harvest because it makes those pesky sugar leaves much easier to remove. That’s because freeze drying essentially turns those tiny leaves into an afterthought, since they stick straight out of the flower and flake right off when touched.

If you’re an acolyte of wet trimming, Cryo Cure machines effectively reduce the number of touchpoints that your flower has to go through to get ready for sale. By simply removing everything you can before running your plant material through our machines, you essentially end up with buds that you can cut from the stem. Everything is good to go at that point.

In fact, since those sugar leaves stick out they’re much easier to identify and remove. Since they have already gone through our proprietary drying and curing process, their phytocannabinoid content levels will be stable. As a result, the excess leaves can be used to extract additional phytocannabinoids and terpenes, turning this plant waste into another avenue for revenue.

Cryo Cured cannabis simplifies trimming

At Cryo Cure, our patented process alleviates many headaches in the cannabis and drying curing process, including stabilizing the flower’s THC content, extending shelf life, and of course, simplifying the trimming process. The sugar leaves on Cryo Cured bud stick right out, making them way easier to find and remove than they would be during the dry trimming or wet trimming process. This saves precious time while minimizing human touchpoints, delivering a cleaner flower to market faster than any other technology out there.

The future of cannabis flower is here, and it can be found in Cryo Cure’s Live Resin Flower. Contact Cryo Cure to learn more about our machines and how they can be used in your facility.

Premium Cannabis Flower: 4 Things To Look For In Premium Bud

Premium Cannabis Flower: 4 Things To Look For In Premium Bud

On your last dispensary visit, you may have noticed differences in cultivar pricing – why are some less or more expensive per ounce? That’s because you can choose from different tiers from flower, from smaller, lower-quality buds to the best of the best, often marketed as premium flower or top-shelf flower.

For cannabis lovers, there’s nothing that compares to premium flower. Here’s what makes top-shelf flower so special, and why it’s worth the investment.

What is premium cannabis flower?

Premium cannabis flower is top-shelf quality cannabis that has densely packed trichomes filled with rich cannabinoids and terpenes. Premium flower often boasts vibrant colors and is trimmed to perfection. It is generally more potent and flavorful, has a longer shelf life than traditional cannabis flower, and may be preferred by experienced consumers or medical patients looking for specific results. 

What makes premium cannabis flower special?

Purchasing premium flower means getting the best the dispensary has to offer. But what makes premium cannabis so special? Let’s take a closer look.

Potency

Cannabinoid potency refers to the amount of cannabinoids present in the bud. Cannabinoids contribute to the overall consumption experience, and knowing the cannabinoid profile can help consumers predict the effects of specific products or cultivars. Cannabinoids are concentrated in the trichomes, or resin glands, of the flower, which are visible to the naked eye. Premium cannabis flower usually has a lot of well-preserved trichomes, giving it a frosty look that signals high potency. 

Terpene profile 

Terpenes are responsible for the aroma, flavor, and certain therapeutic effects of cannabis. They are also among the most difficult compounds to preserve after harvest, as terpenes begin to degrade quickly under even mild conditions. Premium cannabis flower cultivators follow rigorous procedures to preserve these volatile compounds, offering rich terpene profiles and enhancing the scent, taste, and effects of their products.

Shelf life

Not all cannabis flower has the same lifespan, and all cannabis flower degrades over time.  While an individual cannabis product’s shelf life depends on how well it was harvested, dried, cured, and stored, most products offered at dispensaries list a “use by” date to signal when the flower is past its prime.

Lower-grade flower is often dried and cured incorrectly or left susceptible to environmental conditions like heat, light, oxygen, and moisture. Premium cannabis products harvested and stored correctly have a shelf-life from six months to one year before showing signs of degradation. 

Cryo Cure’s patent-pending technology directly addresses the factors that impact shelf life. By cutting the dry time from a few weeks to as little as 13 hours, Cryo Cured cannabis can have a shelf life of up to two years when stored properly in an airtight container away from light.

Four ways to identify premium cannabis flower

Whether you’re a new or experienced cannabis consumer, you may be wondering how to spot the highest-quality premium cannabis flower. While speaking to a budtender is a great way to find the right option, you can look for the following to determine the quality of a bud for yourself:

1. Appearance

Color is one of the easiest ways to distinguish premium cannabis from standard products. While lower-quality cannabis may appear brown or yellowed, premium cannabis flower will display an array of vibrant tones, from deep greens to purples. In addition to a beautiful, rich color, premium cannabis flower should appear perfectly trimmed and manicured with a frosty coating of trichomes. The buds will be larger than lower-quality options and appear much more light and fluffy. 

2. Aroma

Terpenes play a massive role in the aroma of cannabis buds as well. Generally, the more terpenes in a bud, the more intense it will smell. Because premium cannabis flower is harvested and cured with terpene preservation in mind, you can expect fresh, robust scents. Lower-quality options may have little to no scent, or worse, a musty smell that could signal contamination by mold or mildew.

3. Consistency

Premium cannabis flower should be neither too dry nor too wet. While dry and crumbly buds often indicate poor quality, premium cannabis flower will feel somewhat sticky and spongy.  Still, premium cannabis buds should be dry enough to hear the “snap sounds” when broken apart by hand. Overly moist flower will not burn as evenly and could be susceptible to contamination by mold and mildew.

4. Experience

Premium cannabis flower offers a superior consumption experience to lower quality options. Generally, premium buds provide carefully-tailored, complex cannabinoid profiles that supply a range of experiences. While lower quality options are less predictable and may leave you feeling differently than intended, premium cannabis flower offers predictable effects to suit whatever your preference may be. Those looking for products with the most therapeutic potential may succeed with the broad range of effects offered by premium cannabis flower. 

Cultivating a premium experience with Cryo Cure 

Cryo Cure is proud to offer premium cannabis flower that is consistently high in quality and can meet all your needs. Our patented process allows growers and manufacturers to avoid human error and harvest cannabis with that “fresh from the farm” feeling by eliminating the typically weeks-long process of drying and curing. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about how CryoCure can help bring your business to the next level with vibrant, aromatic, premium cannabis flower that stands the test of time..