Horticulture

Cannabis Trimming Comes Down to Moisture

Written by Cara Wietstock

Triminator has been a pioneer in automated cannabis trimming machines for quite awhile. After researching how to best optimize their cannabis flower trimming machines the team at Triminator realized one thing. Customers needed a better way to figure out the exact moisture levels of their flowers.

“Practically all the issues customers were having with our (dry trimming) machines came down to plant material being too wet,” says Gary Fast, Triminator’s northwest regional sales manager. “Growers didn’t have any way to test if they were ready to trim, and it’s hard to describe over the phone.”

cannabis trimming
Their brand new moisture meter allows any level of gardener to read the exact moisture levels of their buds. They tested multiple handheld moisture meters until they found the perfect one. From there, the Triminator team further refined the affordable machine so that it was tailored to the cannabis industry. With those adjustments, they also made sure to keep the technology accessible to every level employee at the grow house.

The meter uses two small prongs that can test the moisture content both on and off the plant. Results are clearly displayed in labeled LED lights along the handheld device. Growers have been using the handheld Triminator moisture meter to fine tune their curing process. During the cure, the meter can help preserve optimal terpene and cannabinoid content for the most even high, aroma, and flavor.

“It’s not just the more experienced growers who can judge the curing process anymore – the hourly wage guys can tell how it’s drying too,” says Fast. “That means grow operations can really monitor and control the curing room. Customers can test every day and anticipate their ‘trim days’ in their workflow.”

Current trials have shown that a quality cure comes from reducing 1% moisture daily during the initial drying process. The flowers start off with about 30% water at harvest, 10% is ideal for cannabis trimming; hence the drying and curing process. Using the Triminator moisture meter helps a cultivation hone in on the 1% daily goal and in turn creates the best buds for trimming and smoking.

The affordable technology can be found on the Triminator website.

About the author

Cara Wietstock

Cara began working in the retail cannabis industry of San Francisco, CA in 2011 and continued in that sector for years. In 2015 she dedicated herself to writing full-time. Her passion for the written word and deep respect for the healing properties of the plant have brought her to Terpenes and Testing magazine. She now helps keep us on the cutting edge of scientific cannabis discovery as the Editor-in-Chief of the print publication.

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