Great part two and as usually, very educational. I'm sad now, not only that I most likely did not reap the benefits of the chaga but also wasted it! We used chunk sized pieces for quickly brewed tea! Thank you, I knew I had seen folks grinding it up for a reason :)
Hi, glad TH-cam suggested you! I went to the plant based expo at the EX in Toronto yesterday and bought some chana tea... I'm reading the instructions for tea and it mentions to "add oil of choice (cacao/MCT etc) and now I feel a wee bit confused. It also suggests using it in smoothies, soup, on skin, and elixirs and coffee. I tried it and loved it.... so I think I will just use your recipe. Hugs from Lake Simcoe!
What a great video. Exactly what I was looking for; you hit the spot! Am on my learning journey & was recently gifted some. I feel so incredibly blessed right now. Take care everyone. ❤
Since my last posting I've learned sun drying dulls the colors. It is supposed to boost the vitamin D levels. Many will comment not to use an aluminum pot to simmer. I use an old crockpot. Thanks for the video and information.
wow such a great informal video, i actually learned something better and beyond the elementary basic ramblings of what 'Chaga' is here, i need to brew up a larger quantity and the crock pot method is a great idea i had not yet thought of but im going to give it an honest go, your instructions are very plain and clear, simple as the ancient indigenous had it way back, again your video is very helpful, an easy understanding and we appreciate you sharing the skill, thank you so much!, many Chaga blessings
Thanks for the awesome video , finally a Northern Ontario homesteading channel, btw I'm a Timmins native, I lived my whole life here. I so far watched both of your 'Chaga' videos and I learned/ loved both of them and are really impressed, thanks!
Cheeze grader works great for making tea..good stuff..i love the flavor..then i use the dryed old chaga after tea for fire starting while camping..it takes a flint spark very quickly then put into a birds nest type dryed material and blow into a fire.primitive fire starting
Excellent video. Told me everything I needed to know about making chaga tea. My son was given a small amount to try. I hope that we can find some growing in the wild, because I really like the taste. Thank you.
I literally make mine like coffee in my French press. Pour in the powder and boiling water, and place in the fridge for a day or two. Comes out amazing. Nice and dark and you can taste that subtle vanilla flavor that chaga has.
Hi! Thank you for this video. I have one question. If you're going with the nugget sized chug and steeping it for the 1-8 hours, what's the best ratio to use between chaga and water?
I have terrible knees and Chaga along with Turmeric and Moringa/Blueberry smoothies made them much more functional and less painful. I mix Chaga with a dandelion/milk thistle tea, sweetener and a little Apple Cider. Its delicious actually which is the key for any health food. Its not imagined because I tried every OTC "remedy" in existence and they did nothing. I also use a CBD cream that has Arnica and Menthol.
@@McCoysOakHillFarm oh, nice!! Like the little wooden box type? Those are great. They take a little more time, but you get a much more even grind with burr grinders like that than you do with the electric blade grinders.
Those wooden box ones are cool. Mine is more new but the top (wood and metal) part screws on to a regular sized opening canning jar. This jar is short and square instead of round. :)
@@Wilderstead I had never knew you could make tea out of it. Only knew it as a tinder source. Glad i learned this new info today. Thanks again for the share!
Hahaha!!! You and Amanda will have to do some fungi brainstorming to find the joke buried in there. You'll find one! Thanks for swingin by Andrew. Cheers buddy!
I would mix it with acerola cherry, vitamin C makes most mushrooms taste very sweet and strengthens the anti-cancer properties! I ilke taking a mushroom complex or a chaga extract mixed with a spirulina or berry smoothie and hemp/MCT oil combination which also increases bioavailabilities. Also if you want to supercharge your thinking check out Celastrus Seed Extract and Lion's Mane.
We don't have this grow wild in the area where I live is there a website to purchase this mushroom?? Thanks got to purchase several bags now I just need to re. Whatch the video on how to make the tea!
@@Wilderstead oh man, if i was going to comment on the hardness of the Chaga and then smash it with a hatchet my thumb would be gone!!! I was really impressed!
Jefferson Vann hey! The fan is called an ‘eco fan’. Runs off the heat from the stove. We use a few of them in the house and in the greenhouse. Thanks for watching!
I use a canvas bag to smash the hard bits with a hammer or axe butt, it contains the "shrapnel", and I'm less likely to lose a finger, LOL. Glad to see the proper method for brewing chaga, by NOT boiling it, and leaving the black crust on. After I use it for tea, I fine grind it and add the powder into baked goods, waste not, want not.
The used chunks can go moldy if they stay damp too long. So you can either dry them out between uses, or keep them in the fridge but try to use them within a couple of days.
Mixing it with reishi powder sounds like a good idea to me ? what do u think... reishi tastest like chocolate milk i feel and could make the chaga taste disappear i think.
It's quite a mild flavour. Maybe a little fruity? Slight sweetness? Definitely a bit earthy. There is a hint of what reminds me of birch syrup in the flavour, but it's not too strong.
Hello, thank you for your video! I have some raw Chaga powder. Will I still get the same medicinal benefits by taking it raw in a smoothie or by filling capsules? Or should it be heated in a tea? Thanks!
I have learned that the cell walls of chaga are very strong, to break it down it must definitly be heated to get any medicinal benefits. The ‘two way extraction method’ is best though
Have you ever made tea with fresh chaga? Just curious if you’ve ever tried it that way or heard of anyone who has. I’ve always dried it but wonder if it could done fresh in the field?
I bought a bag of chaga chunks. What I do with them is grind them up in a blender into a course ground up state. Then I put that into a spice grinder and grind it into a fine talcum-like powder. Then I boil a portion in water to make a thick tea with the chaga suspended in it so it is more like cocoa where cocoa powder is added to water producing a thicker consistency than tea. Then I add milk and some honey. The result is like a chaga version of hot cocoa -- but with chaga powder instead of cocoa powder. I also put this in the fridge and drink it cold. It is really delicious and I like the idea that I am consuming the chaga in its entirety.
Glad you folks did this series! I love the stuff, hope you enjoy it too:)
We do enjoy it quite a bit!
Thank you for taking the time to upload this video! It was helpful!
I've been taking chaga first as a tincture, but now as a capsule, for 10 yrs. One of the few good things i do for myself.
Awesome video. Nice demonstration. This one time at band camp, I tried some mushroom tea. I went to a Jimi Hendrix concert right afterwards.
HAHAHAHA!! Oh man I like your style buddy!!
Very informative, my son and I found some chaga the other day and wondered how to go about make tea with it. Great video!👍
Glad it was helpful!
Great part two and as usually, very educational. I'm sad now, not only that I most likely did not reap the benefits of the chaga but also wasted it! We used chunk sized pieces for quickly brewed tea! Thank you, I knew I had seen folks grinding it up for a reason :)
You might have a big pile in the mail box one day soon to play with! We're looking into mailing across the US/CDN border ;)
Wilderstead if the mailing Chaga is happening I'm interested. In Colorado
If mailing I would like some, in Springfield Missouri
whoa, lady, you have the best tools ever. that knife! that axe! i love you!
new to Chaga Tea and your video really helped thanks.
looks good ,going to try cup right now, great video Amanda
I've actually found a rasp works phenomenal and the powder from that is super fine
Norwegian Here Thanks for the video 🎉❤ Chaga is Life and Healing Feeling Good 😊
Bra engelsk.
Hi, glad TH-cam suggested you! I went to the plant based expo at the EX in Toronto yesterday and bought some chana tea... I'm reading the instructions for tea and it mentions to "add oil of choice (cacao/MCT etc) and now I feel a wee bit confused. It also suggests using it in smoothies, soup, on skin, and elixirs and coffee. I tried it and loved it.... so I think I will just use your recipe. Hugs from Lake Simcoe!
Yes! Badass knife too, I dig the finger catch
best video on chaga tea. thank you.
What a great video. Exactly what I was looking for; you hit the spot! Am on my learning journey & was recently gifted some. I feel so incredibly blessed right now. Take care everyone. ❤
Enjoy!
Since my last posting I've learned sun drying dulls the colors. It is supposed to boost the vitamin D levels. Many will comment not to use an aluminum pot to simmer. I use an old crockpot. Thanks for the video and information.
wow such a great informal video, i actually learned something better and beyond the elementary basic ramblings of what 'Chaga' is here, i need to brew up a larger quantity and the crock pot method is a great idea i had not yet thought of but im going to give it an honest go, your instructions are very plain and clear, simple as the ancient indigenous had it way back, again your video is very helpful, an easy understanding and we appreciate you sharing the skill, thank you so much!, many Chaga blessings
Glad it was helpful!
Chaga!!! That was some wicked cutlery you were using.😬 Very cool video, Amanda!👍
Careful with that axe, Amanda!! LOL
I like the aroma of chaga tea. It smells good, love it
And it's tasty too!
Thanks for the awesome video , finally a Northern Ontario homesteading channel, btw I'm a Timmins native, I lived my whole life here. I so far watched both of your 'Chaga' videos and I learned/ loved both of them and are really impressed, thanks!
Welcom to the channel!! Timmins is a lovely area. Cheers!
Thanks for the vid. My mom got cancer and i'm just really tryna help her out. Apparently chaga tea or medicine will help against cancer
I like the points you've made. Nice Work!
Instant respect as soon and I saw your knife and hatchet. Beautiful looking tools! 🙂
Um yah. Chaga just clears me out. Totally. All day long. Thought I was prepping it wrong but I guess not?!?
Cool looking hatchet and hunting knife! Where'd you got those?
Muchas gracias ,uste me dio una exelente explicacion GB
Very interesting stuff this Chaga is. Great job showing us how you process this.
It’s a wee bit of work, but well worth it in the end CB!
This is incredibly helpful, thank you for such a detailed video :)
Awesome vid, thanks so much!
Very informative and nicely done. Thank you!
Cheeze grader works great for making tea..good stuff..i love the flavor..then i use the dryed old chaga after tea for fire starting while camping..it takes a flint spark very quickly then put into a birds nest type dryed material and blow into a fire.primitive fire starting
I just made my first find and they're as big as yours in video!!!
Thanks for the different extractions. This is exactly what I was looking for!!!
Fantastic!
Excellent video. Told me everything I needed to know about making chaga tea. My son was given a small amount to try. I hope that we can find some growing in the wild, because I really like the taste. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Very nice video! I will find wild Chaga in Europe!
Good luck on the chaga hunt my friend!
found some yarrow growing in the yard and some chaga gonna mix em into a tea. thank you for the video great info!
Good stuff!
Nice video. Very informative.
Glad it was helpful!
That knife is boss!!!!
It's a pretty sweet knife!
Excellent video
thank you
Glad you liked it!
Great video. I love chaga
Always a pot on our stove!
@@Wilderstead so if I can ask, where are you guys located? I live in the Soo. Work in Wawa for the winter
@@tugrhinooutdooradventures7517 Hey Jay, check your IG messages ;)
Thanks very very nice
Most welcome
I literally make mine like coffee in my French press.
Pour in the powder and boiling water, and place in the fridge for a day or two.
Comes out amazing. Nice and dark and you can taste that subtle vanilla flavor that chaga has.
I like the idea if making a batch! How long does it last in the frigde do you know?
I tried them, but I used bacon grease 👍 absolutely delicious
Hi! Thank you for this video. I have one question. If you're going with the nugget sized chug and steeping it for the 1-8 hours, what's the best ratio to use between chaga and water?
good question, but for some reason I'm not seeing a response to it. if you are seeing a response to your question can you post it here again please ?
good question, and also would like to know if added water for a 4hour brew, it looked like the same level of tea for final product.
Good video information thank you!!
No problem Autumn!
Very clear thanks
Glad it helped
Thanks for the info
I have terrible knees and Chaga along with Turmeric and Moringa/Blueberry smoothies made them much more functional and less painful. I mix Chaga with a dandelion/milk thistle tea, sweetener and a little Apple Cider. Its delicious actually which is the key for any health food. Its not imagined because I tried every OTC "remedy" in existence and they did nothing. I also use a CBD cream that has Arnica and Menthol.
We order it in the powder form and love it in our coffee
Well maybe we should send you some. There’s no shortage of it here!!
Looks like it would be good with coffee.
Something I like to do is make a pot of coffee, very strong, then mix about 1:3 of the darker chaga brew with the coffee in a mug. Tasty!
@wilderstead I would love some great video very expensive.
So you would start with richer then keep it regular with the less concentrated? If i was new to start with daily dosage
tx for sharing this video! :) i love chaga!!!
Me too!!
Should I brew it in a crock pot for a few hours? Or maybe can I use instantpot?
ty for sharing
Nice video...:) Good thing Jim use to drink coffee. I now have a coffee grinder and a renewed purpose for sure. lol
I bet you're happy you didn't get rid of it now!
It is a cool hand grinding one. I bought it for him when he first moved up here. I actually have an electric one I use for dried herbs and such. :)
@@McCoysOakHillFarm oh, nice!! Like the little wooden box type? Those are great. They take a little more time, but you get a much more even grind with burr grinders like that than you do with the electric blade grinders.
Those wooden box ones are cool. Mine is more new but the top (wood and metal) part screws on to a regular sized opening canning jar. This jar is short and square instead of round. :)
Another Great share! Not the same mushroom tea from my younger days, but i think this one will suit my older days just fine! Cant wait to try this!
Things change as we get older, don’t they! It’s a great tea. A bit of a process to find and prepare it, but well worth the effort you put into it!
@@Wilderstead I had never knew you could make tea out of it. Only knew it as a tinder source. Glad i learned this new info today. Thanks again for the share!
That was Fungi watching you make tea. I know there is a joke in there someplace. Thank you for sharing Amanda...
Hahaha!!! You and Amanda will have to do some fungi brainstorming to find the joke buried in there. You'll find one! Thanks for swingin by Andrew. Cheers buddy!
You used that corny comment elsewhere Mr. Giant. CMJ
I would mix it with acerola cherry, vitamin C makes most mushrooms taste very sweet and strengthens the anti-cancer properties! I ilke taking a mushroom complex or a chaga extract mixed with a spirulina or berry smoothie and hemp/MCT oil combination which also increases bioavailabilities. Also if you want to supercharge your thinking check out Celastrus Seed Extract and Lion's Mane.
Thanks for sharing!
I like your oven with fans :)
Yes, we love them. Very efficient at helping distribute the heat around our little cabin. They are called Ecofans, if you are looking for some.
Thank you for the information. I just got my first piece and was wondering how to make a tea with it.
Glad it was helpful!
I have been binge watching your channel! :) Thanks for checking us out as well!! And thanks for this video!!
Thanks for watching! Chaga, the one thing we can forage in the winter to help shake of the Cabin Fever!
How you dry it
We don't have this grow wild in the area where I live is there a website to purchase this mushroom?? Thanks got to purchase several bags now I just need to re. Whatch the video on how to make the tea!
Hi Tank. On our website at wilderstead.com
Can you keep the larger made volume of Chaga tea in refrigerator?
Yes, definitely.
This should be titled: "How Not to Use a Hatchet"...nice video though
Paused this video at 2:19 just to look for a comment that mentions the hatchet 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hammer and chisel might work better
How cut the fingers off 🤕
@@tango1919 damn near pissed my pants when i saw that
Right... Hopefully Chaga regrows dislodged digits...
I have some from well from a years been sitting for years. Still safe to use??
Also when you reuse the nugget size chaga, does it need to be refrigerated?
Love the hatchet skills! It was really cool to see how you processed it all. Going to have to keep my eyes on the birch trees and give it a go!
Brother Dunne, ha ha, not the best hatcheting angle. I got 'er done 😀
@@Wilderstead oh man, if i was going to comment on the hardness of the Chaga and then smash it with a hatchet my thumb would be gone!!! I was really impressed!
Like the chaga, but what is the fan on your woodstove?
Jefferson Vann hey! The fan is called an ‘eco fan’. Runs off the heat from the stove. We use a few of them in the house and in the greenhouse. Thanks for watching!
😁😁👌🏼
Does chaga grow fingers back?
Once, I wrapped older hard chunks into a towel, and smacked with a hammer. Worked
Is a little bit of birch bark in the chaga a problem?
Not a problem. It’s fine.
Not unless it’s because of removing it from the host tree wrong 😑
Are any of those pre-boiled yet.
Great video! Question, if you simmer nuggets 8 hours would you still reuse a second time?
Yes, definitely. Use the chunks until they no longer produce a dark tea. Thanks for watching!
Store it in the fridge or freezer after first brew and for how long?
I use a canvas bag to smash the hard bits with a hammer or axe butt, it contains the "shrapnel", and I'm less likely to lose a finger, LOL. Glad to see the proper method for brewing chaga, by NOT boiling it, and leaving the black crust on. After I use it for tea, I fine grind it and add the powder into baked goods, waste not, want not.
That's a good tip too!
I love chaga❤️
Us too!! Cheers Kiara!
You ground the black outer layer with it?
The outter black layer holds the most valuable components.
You can use a Sureform rasp to whittle it down to go into the coffee grinder !
hey what do you think about the oxalate content in Chaga is it something to be worried about?
Moderation.
I use a fine tooth saw for cutting
You said we can use the chunkd 2-3 times after doing the pot method . How do you store the chunks youve used? Fridge or not necessarily? Thanks
The used chunks can go moldy if they stay damp too long. So you can either dry them out between uses, or keep them in the fridge but try to use them within a couple of days.
@@Wilderstead thanks!
How long u are drinking chaga tea?? Does it has side effect?
Would you recommend dual extraction using alcohol solution for second nugget brew?
We don’t, but I’m sure you can!
How frequently do you consume a cup?
We have a cup or two a day in the winter months. Not as much in the summer because we don't have the woodstove going 24/7 at that time.
after using the nuggets , that you can use 3 times what do you do with them after the first use tkx
Once we have exhausted the nuggets by making teas, we dehydrate them in a cast iron pan on our wood stove and save them for tinder/fire starter.
Any experience with cold brewing over night?
Have never tried it. Might be something to look into!
Do we need to dry the powder once it's into powder or is it ready to use
It should be dry enough if you've managed to grind it into powder. If you are worried it might not be dry enough, let it dry a little more.
Thank You ❤️
You’re welcome 😊
The chaga mushroom is mined in Russia, it grows high on a tree on our birch, I collect it often in the forest
Can you eat powdered or chunks of it without boiling them just dried?
Actually, you can grind it into a powder and use it in baking. Breads, muffins, etc.
@@Wilderstead thanks. But I was wondering if I eat it raw will I be ok.
Mixing it with reishi powder sounds like a good idea to me ? what do u think... reishi tastest like chocolate milk i feel and could make the chaga taste disappear i think.
We like the chaga taste, but it would be a good mix with reishi
@@Wilderstead I tested the chaga and it tastes bad compered to reishi , guess ill buy some and mix them together , thanks.
You don't mention the importance of keeping the water temperature below 130 degrees to protect the medicinal properties of Chaga.
Can you sweeten it with stevia?
I don't see why not.
@@Wilderstead thanks!
What would you say the flavor is most like ?
It's quite a mild flavour. Maybe a little fruity? Slight sweetness? Definitely a bit earthy. There is a hint of what reminds me of birch syrup in the flavour, but it's not too strong.
4 dry chaga, it is easier to rap it in a cloth and smash it with a humer it less waist to.
Hello, thank you for your video! I have some raw Chaga powder. Will I still get the same medicinal benefits by taking it raw in a smoothie or by filling capsules? Or should it be heated in a tea? Thanks!
I have learned that the cell walls of chaga are very strong, to break it down it must definitly be heated to get any medicinal benefits. The ‘two way extraction method’ is best though
How long can you keep Chaga? I came across some old chunks that ive had in my pantry for a couple of years. would it still be good?
as long as it was dried properly, it should keep for a few years.
@@Wilderstead Thanks... I wont throw them out, than
Try putting the chaga in a cloth bag and beating it with a sledgehammer on the sidewalk
I use a wood rasp to obtain powder from my chaga's. Give it a try; it's easier and definitely safer than using an ax.
After brewing the nuggets how long can it be kept!
It’ll keep in the fridge for a few days.
Have you ever made tea with fresh chaga? Just curious if you’ve ever tried it that way or heard of anyone who has. I’ve always dried it but wonder if it could done fresh in the field?
No. Not sure, but I imagine it’s fine.
I've brewed it right off the tree. It was delicious and I didn't die... win/ win 😉
I bought a bag of chaga chunks. What I do with them is grind them up in a blender into a course ground up state. Then I put that into a spice grinder and grind it into a fine talcum-like powder. Then I boil a portion in water to make a thick tea with the chaga suspended in it so it is more like cocoa where cocoa powder is added to water producing a thicker consistency than tea. Then I add milk and some honey. The result is like a chaga version of hot cocoa -- but with chaga powder instead of cocoa powder. I also put this in the fridge and drink it cold. It is really delicious and I like the idea that I am consuming the chaga in its entirety.
Thanks