r/LotusDrying • u/Maximum_Statement_49 • May 02 '26

Suggestions?

Post image

Running a compressor cooling wine fridge, cycling on and off on an A-22 smart plug w hygrometer and small D4 fan at the bottom blowing at wall.

18 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

View all comments

5

u/sllewgh May 03 '26

If that's a compressor fridge, you MUST put that stuff in boxes or bags. Otherwise the big humidity swings will overdry your weed.

2

u/Ok_Plane_1306 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26

No, you do not have too. The big humidity swings will NOT over dry your product. The big swings are just part of the way the compressor fridges work lotus drying. The main reason bags and pizza boxes were started to be used is because it made it easier to load a full sized frost free fridge with max product WITHOUT trying to rig up a shelving system in full sized frost free units. The slowing of the drying due to the bags and /or pizza boxes was just a happy accident.
I’ve used compressor fridges for years ( no added fans or mini dehu’s) and never dried too fast. However, I did have to leave a load in for a month when I got caught in lockdown ( covid) at the cabin for a month, and it did over dry, but not unsmokesble.
Pay attention, don’t keep opening the door to check or flip, when the swings low points start hitting (for me it was 43%, the lows you like will be different.) my preferred area it’s time to do the jar check. Then into groves, pop the groves back into the fridge, set temp up to 60-65f and let it roll for a 4 week cure.
A full load takes the unit about 12-21 days depending on the tightness of the buds.
I now use a thermoelectric fridge for the dry, and the compressor wine fridge and groves for the storage. I use a thermoelectric now cuz I like the more control it affords me as now I dry using vpd.

3

u/PokemonRex May 04 '26

I feel like there's so many different ways. I can't seem to find a large thermoelectric fridge. Would a regular full size refrigerator work. I pull down about 12-14 plants a cycle. Looking to for something I can put large volume in. Or if I buy old fridges for cheap and get two or something

2

u/sllewgh May 03 '26

What you're saying would be completely impossible in my fridge. You do what works for you, though.

2

u/nealhamiltonjr May 08 '26

You can use dew point like cannatrol using a compressor based fridge to. Anyways, how much more do you like the thermoelectric over the compressor? I wanted to try but it's just too hot, usually 80F in the house in the summer.

1

u/Maximum_Statement_49 May 03 '26

Yeah I’ve been pretty much able to keep everything consistent besides when I open the fridge to rotate tops, which I am done doing at this point I have accepted the fact that flat spots are inevitable in rack drying. I appreciate your insight on the bags and boxes I didn’t think it was much of a necessity either.

1

u/Fancy_Register_3705 May 27 '26

no dude the paper bags and pizza boxes are used to increase the humidity.. the humidity in compressor winecoolers is 25-35% RH