processing chaga

[randyt]

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.

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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.
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[hunter63]

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

[randyt]

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.

[hunter63]

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

[randyt]

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

[hunter63]

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.....

[maengun]

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]

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.