processing chaga

Processed up some chaga earlier today. The way I process chaga is after harvesting from the tree, the chaga is dried in a dehydrator for 24 hrs at 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Then I chunk it up with a knife and run it through a hand cranked meat grinder. I store it in mason jars for future use.
Here's a couple photos.

here I chunk it up with a knife. I baton the knife with the brass hammer, I use the hammer because that is what I have handy. For what it's worth the cloth is clean, its just stained up with chaga tea lol.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...ps8ebb2bc1.jpg


Here is the grinder I use, had to put it on the reloading bench. Tried the kitchen table and the counter top, probably for the best it didn't work at those places, if you know what I mean LOL. I was using a big rasp for grinding chaga down but the meat grinder works very well, very efficient and slow enough it doesn't create heat.
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...ps7ebfdf25.jpg

Did you cut out the chaga form the mushrooms or was it true chaga for a birch?

Guy out here at the farmers market sells chaga tea.........and sold me some hore hoof fungus....Same thing?
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...o-light-a-fire

true chaga comes from a live birch tree, it kinda looks like a wad of bear poop on a birch tree. A big ole black gnarly mass. Horse hoof fungus if different. I'm not sure if horse hoof fungus is edible.

Yeah thanks....been looking for years and haven't found any yet.....But I was talking about fire starter, not the tea.

How far north have you looked? some claim it only grows north of the 45th parallel or so.

Rhinelander Wi.....and surrounding area.....
45.6394° N, 89.4122° W....so maybe too far south yet....
Lots of horse hoof fungus...guy called if false chaga.....

hi all, new guy to the forum, but old guy in the woods a long time.
we live about 20 north of Rhinelander and we find enough chaga to keep us in tea and share a little with friends. matter of fact we just last week found about a 3 lb. chunk on a birch right next to a county road near woodruff, wi. we left some smaller chunks to harvest later.

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome....in SE and south west (split time) but family originally from Minocqua.
Hunted of Hwy 17 south of Rheinlander for many years.