A Growers Choice: Wet vs Dry Trimming

Growing cannabis is a very involved process that requires many steps between planting your seeds to harvesting and curing your flower. While there are many important steps in this process, perhaps the most vital to getting your cannabis bud from the grow house to shelves is the trimming process. It is during the trimming process where your harvested buds are trimmed and prepped for curing and sale. There are currently two trimming methods used within the cannabis industry, wet or dry trimming, and the debate continues to rage over wet vs dry trimming and which method is more effective.

The reality is that every grower has developed their own system for producing cannabis and the trimming method often comes down to personal experience. That is why CenturionPro Solutions offers bud trimming machines that support both wet and dry trim options.

Wet Trimming

Wet trimming refers to removing the plant leaves as soon as the plant is harvested, which is considered to be a more efficient method and is also suited to novice growers. While not only easier, wet trimming is also more efficient as, once the trimming is done, the grower only needs to dry the buds and not worry about removing extra leaves after. In addition, most mold issues occur between the stalk and the bud. As the bud is already removed from the stalk, the chances of mold are greatly reduced and thereby ensures your harvest will remain viable. Another benefit to wet trimming is the process of trimming and then drying gives the buds a chance to “puff out”, which makes them more aesthetically pleasing to the end user. This is ideal if you sell your bud directly to consumers, as opposed to processing it for concentrates.

Beyond the bud itself, wet trimming is the most compatible with bud trimming machines as the bud is already humid and much easier to cut in a tumble-style machine. For large-scale operations, this makes wet trimming the most efficient way to go.

Dry Trimming

The alternative to wet trimming is dry trimming, which also has many positive aspects that make it a favorite among a large number of growers. The process of dry trimming is considered less efficient overall, but in some cases more effective.

There are two main reasons to trim dry: the first is to control the drying speed and the second is to produce bud with a less harsh smoke. Choosing dry trimming allows the grower to control the speed at which the buds dry out, thereby preventing them from drying too quickly. Cannabis that has been properly dried before being trimmed may not be as aesthetically pleasing or “puffy” as wet trimmed bud, but dry trimmed cannabis tends to result in a more pleasing smoke.

When it comes to dry trimming, the harvested stalks and buds are hung to dry prior to being trimmed. While this process does produce a gentler smoke, dried cannabis is not as easily trimmed in a bud trimming machine. Fortunately, CenturionPro Solutions’ many years in the industry working with both wet and dry trimming has provided valuable insight into providing an effective machine-based dry trim.

To make the most of our dry trimming systems, begin by hanging the entire plant (leaf on) at 30% humidity and 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours. Then, raise the humidity to 50-60% for another five to six days. After the week is up, cut your flowers off the main stalks leaving the bud and leaves intact. At that point, they will be ready for a run through the machine! It is important to note that for dry machine trimming, the buds need to be 80-90% dry which will allow the fan leaf and sugar leaves to remain somewhat pliable and flexible. If they are too dry and brittle, it will prevent a clean cut. Ideally, an 11% moisture content will result in the best cut; a moisture meter can be a great tool to ensure you are on the right track.

Why Choose?!

One great benefit of a CenturionPro Solutions bud trimmer is that each machine comes standard with both wet AND dry tumblers, so you never have to choose! In many instances, growers enjoy the option of being able to trim both wet or dry depending on the needs of that particular harvest. However, for those that prefer one method over the other, you can elect to receive double wet or double dry tumblers instead! This is ideal for customers with large harvests that cannot afford down-time as you simply insert your spare tumbler instead of stopping production for a full clean.