Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

murphyscafe wrote:My 2pence worth.....

With regards to the "ash" colour, if it's dark grey to black it was hydro grown, if it's a light grey to white then it was soil grown, this I can confirm from afew grows I've been involved with!

I've heard this before, and I agree that soil grown gives a light grey to white ash. I had thought though, that some hydro did eventually flush to the point that the ash was indistinguishable, although I don't have "first hand" experience with hydro. Has anyone come across hydro weed that burns with totally clean ash? I have to admit that one of the reasons I prefer soil is that it's a more "natural" plant.

jimi62471 wrote:alright geekymonkey.. Now you are just showing off! LOL

Yeah- just look at all that bad weed I bought! The Rokerij stuff was so bad I didn't even smoke it, and hesitated to even give it away! If you want to watch me show off, you have to read my travelogues

Cloud of smoke wrote: I couldn't tell beforehand which was good or bad but it didn't take too many tokes to know for sure. That said, some of my mates didn't even notice, so maybe I'm just paranoid, wonder why? LOL

Nah, you're just pickier. Welcome to the club. You will find we smoke better weed here. I nominate Cisco for president.

griff9 wrote: Oddly enough, both strains i tried from club media were not flushed properly..one was champagne haze, i can't recall what the other one was though..

To be honest though most bud in the Dam isn't flushed properly, I find it extremely hard to find clean stuff over there and thats exactly what i'll be looking for there come 420.. forget indica, sativa or whatever strain it may be.. clean bud is all I'm after.. quality over quantity this time round

Bummer. That's why I always recommend going by dealer's advice, rather than trip reports (batches change sometimes within a day in Amsterdam) or a pre determined list of strains. Even then, sometimes even then I get a dodgy bit of bud, from shops I quite like. I would encourage you to try Media again, 1e Hulp, Voyagers.

Uncle Ron wrote:I have a 30/60/100x microscope, and when looking at the bud, it sparkles brilliantly mostly because of the "clear-headed" trichomes.
If I were to judge if a bud is good by looking at the trichomes, I defo want them all to be cloudy, at their peak.
Lest we forget, clear is ripe (underdeveloped, heady high?), cloudy is peak (high and stoned?), amber is past peak (mostly stoned?).

That's a good explanation, and I'll add that as the trichomes get cloudy/mature, thc is diminishing and other cbds are increasing, so where you like your bud on the clear to amber spectrum depends a lot on how you like your buzz. Roughly, clear is "most high" and energetic and amber is "most stoned" with more pain relief and physical impact. Most people like something in the middle. I happen to like most strains a little ambered. (Or "well cooked" as I like to think of it.)

Great info in this thread, will deffinately help me next time in in 'Dam too.

geekymonkey wrote:I happen to like most strains a little ambered. (Or "well cooked" as I like to think of it.)

So, you like your bud a little well done eh?
I like my Sativas to be heady high and Indicas body stoned. That is why when I grow my own, I'll harvest Sativas when the majority of trichome heads are cloudy with as few amber as possible, if any at all. As for Indicas, I'll wait until about a third of the trichomes have turned amber before I harvesting.

I think we pretty much covered how to identify good and bad weed.
- Not impossible but very difficult to tell just from looking with the naked eye. A couple shops have microscopes, use them. If not, carry around a pocket microscope. Ok, trichomes are covered, what's next?
- A little less difficult is by smell. Know the strain you are dealing with because it could have a pronounced diesel or chemical smell. You don't want to be the person to cry foul and embarrass yourself.
- Touch, as in your own gear, to check how pliable it is. One doesn't have to mash the bud between their fingers, gently hold and see how bendy. Also, if there is any stem, break it. You want it to snap cleanly, like a dry twig. If it doesn't, under cured.
- Taste, smell, and burn. Here is where things become interesting because this is where one usually discovers if they've been ripped-off or not. I won't go into details as it has already been covered. Does it smell like a refinery? Does it taste like inhaling Mr. Clean/Proper? Does it burn evenly or do you have to keep putting fire to it? Does it spark when lighting up? This last one is crucial because it could also mean the gear has been adulterated.

Probably a few more methods of checking ones gear, but I think the above summarizes what one should look for and do.
Next...
Happy trails...

Uncle Ron wrote:- Touch, as in your own gear, to check how pliable it is.

also don't forget "touch to see how sticky it is" ... sticky is good, it means lots of resin

StonedSince'67 wrote:

Uncle Ron wrote:- Touch, as in your own gear, to check how pliable it is.

also don't forget "touch to see how sticky it is" ... sticky is good, it means lots of resin

True, but with a major caveat...
Trichomes are made to be smoked not stuck to fingers and then wiped clean. You and I may know better, but does the average stoner? Be careful of the answer...
I cringe whenever I see bud being excessively handled, especially in videos showing growers manhandling the bud. Pros(?) acting like a bunch of newby amateurs. Just my opinion.

Happy trails...

visible THC
sweet smell
swollen seedpods
density

RvanSteensel wrote:visible THC
sweet smell
swollen seedpods
density

Sorry to be pedantic but I don't think having a sweet smell is really anything to go on...anyone remember brix+? Nasty shit...

RvanSteensel wrote:visible THC
sweet smell
swollen seedpods
density

This ticks all the boxes, but just tastes terrible

well yeah you cant check if its cured until u smoke it

Kermit wrote:This ticks all the boxes, but just tastes terrible

What is that? It does look good...

LionofJudah wrote:

Kermit wrote:This ticks all the boxes, but just tastes terrible

What is that? It does look good...

Can't remember, many strains ago, sorry

to the OP always ask the budtender if you can touch the bud, never just reach in a grab a bud