Do you want full access to Chaga's health benefits? Keep reading for more information!
A hot water extraction of Chaga (Chaga tea) gives your body access to the water soluble components including antioxidants and polysaccharides. The components the tea lacks are betulinic acid, triterpenes, sterols and lignin, which are responsible for some of Chaga’s more interesting benefits. In order to gain access to these components, an alcohol extraction is necessary. It's a process that requires attention and patience, it's not quick! This entire process will take over a month. If you aren't the DIY type, you can skip the work and purchase our dual-extracted Chaga Tincture.
DIY Dual-Extract Chaga Tincture Recipe
You will need:
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1 package of Birch Boys Loose Chaga Tea (you may need two, depending on the size of your jar)
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A mason jar or empty glass jar with a lid
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At least 100 proof vodka (the stronger the better, I used Everclear)
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Cheesecloth, muslin or a thin cloth
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Thin wooden dowel (chopstick or kabab stick will work)
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Your wits (these instructions can be tricky, make sure you're paying attention)
Step 1 - Alcohol Extraction
First: Fill your jar half way up with Birch Boys Loose Chaga Tea.
It's important that the tea is finely ground so that you can gain as many beneficial components as you can. Luckily we do that part for you!
Second: Fill the remaining space in your jar with the alcohol, give it a good stir to release any excess air bubbles.
Third: Tightly cap your mixture and store it in a cool, dry spot. Leave for 4-8 weeks, the longer the better. Make sure you shake it a few times a week.
Step Two - Heat Extraction
***In this step, you will use the Chaga pulp to make a potent tea to add to your alcohol later. Do not attempt to heat or boil the alcohol.
First: After you've left your Chaga mixture to sit for at least 1 month, strain out the alcohol liquid into a jar. Cap and set aside. Reserve the Chaga pulp for the next step
Second: Add the strained Chaga pulp to a pot (ceramic, and pyrex work best but I used the same pot I used to strain).
Then, estimate how much alcohol is in your jar, and add the same amount of water to the pot (The alcohol is saved for later, do not add the alcohol to your pot).
Third: Now that you have both Chaga pulp and water in your pot, take your chopstick/dowel/stick and measure your liquid. Then cut a notch in your chopstick to mark where the liquid is.
Fill your pot to twice the original amount of water. So if your chopstick measured 1 inch, you should add 1 additional inch of water to your pot.
Fourth: Bring your mixture to a boil and simmer on low heat until the water in the pot is at the same level as the notch in your chopstick. This is called a decoction.
Fifth: Let it sit overnight. The next day, add more water and simmer a second decoction. One more night of sitting and then a third decoction.
Sixth: After the third decoction, add your jar of alcohol back into your decocted liquid. You're finished!
Good job on all that work!
Now you can put your double extracted, extra potent Chaga mushroom mixture into an eyedropper or a glass jar. 1 tsp (or one dropper full) is enough to add to any drink, or just take straight in the morning. Enjoy the full benefits of Birch Boys!
About The Author
Garrett Kopp is the 25 year old Chaga visionary and founder of Birch Boys, Inc., a company well-known for its assortment of teas, tinctures, and extracts from healing wild fungi. Kopp grew up in the Adirondack Mountains, where he naturally developed a broad passion for the wild northern forests of New York. He began to specialize and narrow this passion toward Chaga after a freak accident where he helped himself to a cup of what appeared to be iced tea in his Grandmother’s refrigerator, who had started harvesting Chaga and brewing it on her own amidst a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Soon thereafter, Kopp and his grandmother expanded their Chaga harvesting activities to local farmer's markets, where they discovered significant demand for the fungus and its powerful ability to help everyday people.
These entrepreneurial efforts landed Kopp acceptance into Clarkson University’s early entrance program, the Clarkson School, where he studied Engineering & Management and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Several years and hundreds of research hours later, Kopp returned to his hometown. Having shipped to over 20,0000 individuals throughout all 50 states, Birch Boys has organically grown into a nationally recognized online brand . Kopp is proud to have built a vertically integrated supply chain, sustainably sourcing the fruits of tree-borne fungi from over 220,000 leased acres of leased private land in the Adirondack park, where it is carefully harvested by hand before being dried, processed, and extracted with love, at his fungi factory in none other than Tupper Lake, NY.
Recommended Reading
Comparing the Benefits of Chaga Tea VS Chaga Tincture
Mycelium vs Fruiting Body: A Wildcrafter's Take
Beware Mushroom Extract Powders
Comments (13)
I’m done both my extracts, but wondering if I should leave the chocolate goop that settled to the bottom of the alcohol extract that was strained out…. my alcohol extract was light brown but translucent instead of the dark brown/black it started off with. My water decoction came out Iodine colored. I restrained before adding in the decoction and the film at the bottom after settling was left behind in the cloth. I’m used to clarifying my extracts and filtering to a small micron though I’m unsure if this will take away from any compounds or polysaccharides. Thanks in advance
I’m done both my extracts, but wondering if I should leave the chocolate goop that settled to the bottom of the alcohol extract that was strained out…. my alcohol extract was light brown but translucent instead of the dark brown/black it started off with. My water decoction came out Iodine colored. I restrained before adding in the decoction and the film at the bottom after settling was left behind in the cloth. I’m used to clarifying my extracts and filtering to a small micron though I’m unsure if this will take away from any compounds or polysaccharides. Thanks in advance
I’m done both my extracts, but wondering if I should leave the chocolate goop that settled to the bottom of the alcohol extract that was strained out…. my alcohol extract was light brown but translucent instead of the dark brown/black it started off with. My water decoction came out Iodine colored. I restrained before adding in the decoction and the film at the bottom after settling was left behind in the cloth. I’m used to clarifying my extracts and filtering to a small micron though I’m unsure if this will take away from any compounds or polysaccharides. Thanks in advance
I have my leftover chaga chunks after using them to make a tea.
Could I now make a tincture with them? Should I grind them up first.
Since alcohol removes a different ingredient than water, wouldn’t this work?
Thanks
Hi and thank you so much for these instructions! After the third decoction do you strain off the liquid from the pulp?
Thank you!!
Why do you perform the decotion three times. Do you need to wait overnight or just for it to cool off
Hi, is reversed procedure possible? That is heat extraction first, then alcohol.
Thanks
I wanted to make a purchase but don’t have a cell phone so the order couldn’t go through. I am disappointed. Carolyn
How long does the Chaga double extraction last if stored properly? Thank you!
Can I use glycerine instead of alcohol?