Hand-trimming or machine-trimming: It enhances the quality of CBD flowers
|
|
Reading time 4 min
CONTENTS
When you buy CBD, you often look at the cannabinoid content or the appearance of the flowers. However, there’s a less obvious detail that greatly influences the final quality: trimming. This post-harvest step plays a major role in the appearance, aroma, and shelf life of the flowers.
Things to remember
Trimming involves removing the leaves around the flowers.
Manual trimming better preserves the terpenes, trichomes, and the natural structure of the buds.
Mechanical trimming is faster but can result in greater losses of resin and flavor.
What is CBD flower trimming?
After harvest, the hemp plants still don't look like the CBD flowers you find in stores. The buds are surrounded by many leaves that must be removed before the product can be sold.
There are two types of leaves. Fan leaves are the large leaves characteristic of hemp. They contain very few trichomes and are usually removed at harvest. Sugar leaves are smaller and grow directly around the flowers. They are covered in resin and trichomes, but an excessive amount of them can affect the final appearance of the product.
Trimming involves precisely removing these leaves in order to highlight the flower itself.
Why does this step directly affect quality?
Once the major stages of hemp cultivation are complete, it's time to move on to trimming.
But keep in mind that trimming isn't just about making the flowers look prettier. This process affects several important factors, such as:
The visual appearance of the final product;
The amount of trichomes retained;
The flavor profile;
The smoothness when consumed;
Preservation quality.
A properly trimmed flower generally has better visual density, less unnecessary plant material, and a higher concentration of the most sought-after parts.
Wet trimming or dry trimming: two different approaches
Wet trimming
Wet trimming, also known as "wet trim," is performed immediately after harvest.
At this stage, the plant still contains a significant amount of water. The leaves are stiff and easy to handle, which greatly simplifies the work for the operators.
This method speeds up the drying process because removing the leaves quickly allows moisture to escape more easily.
However, some producers believe that this faster drying process may lead to the loss of certain particularly volatile terpenes.
Dry trimming
Dry trimming, or "dry trim," takes place after the drying phase. The flowers are typically hung for seven to fourteen days before the final processing.
The leaves gradually curl around the buds, which makes trimming more complex and time-consuming.
This method requires more time and precision, but it is often preferred by artisanal producers seeking premium quality.
Slow drying allows the terpenes to stabilize more effectively in the flowers and promotes a more gradual maturation of the product.
For this reason, many artisans still consider dry trim to be the gold standard for quality.
Hand Trimming: The Artisanal Method
How does manual trimming work?
Manual trimming is an extremely meticulous task. The trimmer typically uses scissors with rounded tips and handles each flower individually. They gradually remove the sugar leaves, following the bud’s natural shape.
This method allows each step to be tailored to the flower’s shape.
Better preservation of trichomes
With this method, you can better preserve the trichomes. Since the buds undergo very little mechanical handling, the trichomes remain more firmly attached to their surface.
A more visually appealing flower
Manual trimmingbetter preserves the flower’s natural structure. The flowers often appear fuller, more detailed, and more natural.
The Disadvantages of Manual Trimming
An experienced trimmer typically processes between 50 and 100 grams of dried flowers per hour, depending on the density of the buds. On a large scale, this represents a significant labor cost.
The work is also physically demanding. The repetitive movements place a heavy strain on the wrists, hands, and forearms.
Finally, the result depends directly on the expertise of each producer.
The trimming machine: the industrial solution
How do trimming machines work?
The flowers are fed into a rotating system consisting of drums, screens, or blades. The rotational motion causes the buds to rub against the cutting surfaces. The leaves protruding from the flower are gradually removed.
The most common models use mesh drums that allow the sheets to pass through a grid before being cut.
Unmatched productivity
Whereas a manual operator processes a few dozen grams per hour, a machine can process several kilograms in the same amount of time.
The Effects on Trichomes
Mechanical movements generate significant friction that can cause some of the trichomes on the surface of the flowers to detach. Some of the resin then remains on the machine’s surfaces rather than on the buds.
This loss doesn't make the flowers bad, but it can affect their visual and aromatic richness.
The Impact on Terpenes and Morphology
The vibrations, friction, and slight heat generated during mechanical trimming can promote the volatilization of some of the most sensitive molecules.
Article written by Benjamin Poirel-Nadal
Passionate about natural well-being and plants with multiple virtues, I've been exploring the benefits of CBD and its various forms for several years.
My aim? To share with you clear information, honest opinions and practical advice to help you integrate CBD into your daily life with confidence and serenity.
