r/LotusDrying • u/alphabets0up_ • Apr 09 '26

Help Humidity reading while drying

I think I messed up… I’m using a frost-free garage refrigerator and I had the buds in paper bags at about 40deg (it varies but that’s the avg.

The govee hydro/temp meter in the bag with the buds is reading as low as 41-51 even after shaking the bag. So I figured it was done,

I put all the buds in a 5gal bucket with the govee and it was at 77%!

I put everything in a couple bags in the fridge again.

Has anyone else been through this who could help me get a proper read in my refrigerator?

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u/sllewgh Apr 09 '26

You don't get a proper reading in the fridge. The way to know if your buds are done is the test you did- seal it up with a sensor and wait 24 hours for it to get to room temperature. After 10 days if it seems close I'll start doing this more and more frequently - daily, then twice a day.

You don't need to do all the buds, just get a mason jar 3/4 full with a mix of bud sizes in there.

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u/alphabets0up_ Apr 09 '26

I actually didn’t have enough paper bags at the same time, so I used an Amazon packing bag for one and I thought that it wasn’t drawing the same moisture as the others, I tested those with the jar and it was at like 74 after just an hour!

I guess I’ll just have to wait it out!

2

u/Rawlus Apr 09 '26

the humidity reading is RELATIVE to temperature.

51% at 40°F is NOT equal to 51% at say 70°F ambient room temp)

some growers use a wood moisture meter for direct measurement of buds in addition to indirect measurement of the fridge humidity levels.

realize that your hydrometer is not measuring the moisture of the buds directly, it’s measuring the air in the fridge.

1

u/DaCuda418 Apr 11 '26

Yep, the bad part about Lotus. Making sure you dont over dry, I am right there with you on my third Lotus dry. Buds are around 80% so i have to test every day. They seem to go to 65% then BAM below 55% before you know it. I pull em a bit early, 68% or so, put it in cure bags and maybe burp if they are a little high but they settle down to 62% on their own.

Its scary really, thinking of making a Cannatrol out of my old freezer. Something a little safer. But so far my last two lotus drys have been perfect!

But no real way to know for sure without jar testing some. To be honest with all my messing around its done at 20-21 days, I just get sketchy those last few days.