In curing, "sweat" means buds that felt dry on the rack becoming soft and damp-feeling in the jar a few hours to a day after sealing. Water still held in the bud core and stems migrates outward and raises the headspace humidity. Some sweat is expected, because the outside of a bud always dries ahead of the inside.
In practice
Read it from the equilibrated jar RH: - About 58-65%: normal; burp on schedule. - About 65-70%: burp longer or more often; leave the lid off for a while. - Above about 70%, or condensation on the glass: take the buds out and spread them on a tray or back on the rack for some hours, then re-jar. Inspect for mould and ammonia smells.
Heavy sweating usually means the buds were jarred too early or were case-hardened. Dense colas sweat most.
Older growers sometimes used deliberate warm, tightly packed "sweats" to change colour and aroma. That's a form of microbial or oxidative curing that sits closer to fermentation and risks mould. GenetixBay doesn't recommend it.
Don't confuse with
- Burping: the action that releases sweat moisture.
- Mould: a possible consequence of unchecked sweating.
- Sweat (slang): unrelated everyday senses of the word.
