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?