CHAGA

I find it all over my property in the u.p. on all the yellow birch.

MOTHER LODE IMO you will know when you cut it off if its orange inside. thats the biggest I have ever seen

Is this chaga?

That could be so. Red alders are related to birch. The bark is very similar, and are the largest native alder in the US. Also on the harvest, I usually use a pole saw and cut it off a half inch from the trunk. Dont dig it out, you have to leave some in or on the tree to keep it growing.

I believe it is an alder tree, I will get a picture when I can. There are more than one on the tree.

I have heard to not pick the entire mushroom but only a fraction as it isn't  to common anymore in Wisconsin Midwest probably due to over harvest of birch trees. 

I have never heard of, or seen it growing on anything but, birch. Send a pic of the tree and the chaga if you can. Other than that identify the tree. You may be looking at Black Knot Fungus which looks more like a burl.

Does it matter what kind of tree it is growing on? I have found some but it is not growing on birch. 

small coffee grinder. put the chunks in something like an old sock and smash it with a sledehammer. you have to get them pretty small like a quarter inch, or you will ruin the grinder because the chaga is a lot harder than coffee. I grind it then sift it through a noodle strainer then dump the large pieces that dont go through back in the grinder. I buy the grinders from resale shops like salvation army for one or two bucks. Remember also you can rebrew it 3 times half cup to a gallon. use non chlorinated/ flouridated or spring water

Those of you who grind your own, what do you use to grind it up?  

An old friend of mine from Russia makes his living by selling chaga. He lives in Siberia (that's an eastern part), as I understand there's plenty of it. I have no idea how he's harvesting it but he offered tried me making business with him. Unfortunately, that was not an appropriate time in my life

BUGLE   did you ever do the water extraction I posted and test it? I usually start drinking it in the fall and over winter, so I am just curious as what you may have found out, if not maybe you could do it and let us know.   thanks UTAH

Sounds similar to my property.  Birches in swamp or very close to it.

I think I have the mushroom on my property. If anyone wants to look I'm between Mauston and Necedah. Lots of birch in the swamp with growth on them.  Private message me.

I'll have to check to see if I have any raw chaga around the house.  If I do, I'll follow that method.  That's what my mom does with it.  My guess is that some of the compounds that are present in my tincture won't be in the tea - primarily the fat or alcohol soluble compounds like beta sitosterol.  Not to say that the tea isn't healthy, it will likely just only contain the water soluble compounds which have their benefits as well.