Hi Friends!  Jimbo here with Mephisto Genetics, and I’m super excited to share with you how my custom wrapped Cannatrol Cool Cure is helping to give me a competitive edge during the homegrower competition circuit in 2024.

Our team got back from the second annual American Autoflower Cup held in Los Angeles, California. At the event we snagged first place for best breeder (for the second year in a row), but we also took home the second place trophy for best Sativa. Our winning entree: Old School Mango Haze. There was a lot of fierce competition at this years Autoflower Cup, with a total of 62 entrees competing for the Indica and Sativa trophies. Among our handful of submissions, The Old School Mango Haze stood out for her irresistible candy gas flavor profile and hazy aftertaste, but I feel the secret to her success in this competition lies underneath the surface.

I grow all of my Mephisto autoflowers in 3×3 tents under 300watt LED bar-style lights. They live their lives in soil filled 5-gallon fabric pots before being harvested and processed for competition. Perhaps the most important element in the entire preparation process for achieving a superior quality flower for use in competition is achieving a proper dry and cure. Prior to receiving my Cannatrol Cool Cure unit, my post processing workflow involved harvesting plants whole and drying them upside-down in their respective tents. This process, although effective when done correctly, introduces several variables that can impact overall sample quality. As a grower who lives in a four seasons climate, my grow space and tents are often subject to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. These swings can affect dry times significantly depending on the time of year. Furthermore, tents can be subject to varying microclimates that are produced when whole plants hang upside down. Even in the best case scenarios, there will always be an uneven change of airflow throughout every branch on every plant. This will produce samples with different moisture levels that can negatively impact the overall quality of a cure when jarred or bagged up for storage.

Bring in the Cool Cure from Cannatrol, which has become essential factor in solving my seasonal microclimate problem. Unlike the unpredictable nature of whole plant tent drying in a seasonally fluid climate, my Cool Cure allows me complete control of the temperature and dew point during the entire drying and curing process. This gives my flowers a fully protected space with proper airflow, dialed in climate controls, and protection from the elements. What’s even better is that I have the option with my Cool Cure to customize my drying and curing cycles to meet the needs of my samples. I can program my temperature and dew point settings according to the overall quantity, density, and size of my samples to achieve the most optimal cup quality submissions.

In preparation for the 2024 American Autoflower Cup, I managed to dry and cure my submissions in just 8 days with the Cool Cure system. Using the factory settings of 68F/52F dew point for my 4-day dry cycle and 68F/52F dew point for my 4-day dry cycle, I achieved uniform moisture levels across every individual sample. In no scenario could I achieve this with hang drying as some parts of the plant would inevitable dry slower or faster than others. An integral element in capturing the attention of the judges in a competition such as the American Autoflower Cup is uniformity in sample quality. The Cool Cure unit without a doubt aided me in achieving that, while simultaneously reducing my post processing window from 2-3 weeks down to 8 days.

Perhaps the most important deciding factor for a judge in picking a winner during competition is a sample’s aromatic profile. My Old School Mango Haze was able to not only dry and cure in my Cool Cure system, but I also held each fully manicured nug in the unit for 10 days prior to packaging and processing. As opposed to storing in bags or jars, having my cured flower idle in the Cool Cure paid off in dividend in preserving the bright and flavorful profile that would ultimately secure my second place win.

In the end, I believe that my ability to provide a fully uniform and properly dried/cured sample that retained maximal aromatic potency gave me a competitive advantage. I owe that to my Cannatrol Cool Cure System for giving me the solution I needed for taking home a trophy this year!

Thank you Cannatrol!

Sincerely,
Jimbo with Mephisto Genetics

About the AWC

The Autoflower World Cup is one of Europe’s most exclusive autoflower-focused events, bringing together the best seed banks, growers and specialists to celebrate, network and highlight the best autoflowering genetics.  Held in Barcelona, ​​Spain, the 1st edition of the Autoflower World Cup in 2021 welcomed the autoflowering community and all those looking to learn more about autoflowering, offering a place for the entire cannabis community to feel at home while helping out. to create together the history of autoflowering, taking the truly best genetics from the unknown to the top.  In 2023, expect things to be bigger and better; With new categories and even more brands, breeders and the best specialists in the industry, we plan to take the Autoflower World Cup to a whole new level.  As always, the cup coordinator, Arnau Tango, a renowned member of the local community with more than 10 years of experience in the sector, puts all his effort into selecting the best samples and ensuring that everyone has a good time. big time, so join us and let’s make history together!