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Speckles
Sober AF



Registered: 09/19/13
Posts: 236
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Canned Reishi Tea 1
#23928220 - 12/15/16 01:58 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Hey guys, I grew some Ganoderma lucidum back in 2015, and find Ganoderma oregonense occasionally, but have never made the tea on a regular basis due to how long it takes to boil and the fact that it only lasts about a week in the fridge before I get some funky growth on the surface.
I wanted to start taking it more regularly and decided to try making a large batch and canning the tea. So about a month ago (11-11) I took some Ganoderma oregonense (some dried but mostly wet) and one dried Ganoderma applanatum and made a batch of tea.
I broke the dried, and cut the fresh, into a bunch of 1-2 inch cubes, brought to a boil and reduced to a simmer for 2 hours. I equally distributed the resulting tea into 12 pints and then did a second boil-simmer (2 hours again), and filled the jars the rest of the way with that. A lot of water boils off which concentrates the brew but also any metals/minerals in the tap water I was using. I thought canning to brew the tea would avoid this boil off, and maybe the higher heat would make for a better extraction of the polysaccharides.
I canned the pints of reishi tea, and this way I was able to drink some everyday without hassle. One pint has lasted me about 3 days, drinking a cup of tea a day. I didn't drink an exact amount every day, some days I just took a shot, sometimes I poured it in with coffee, added it to soup a couple times, but mostly I drank it cold.
I'm drinking the last of the tea today (12-13), and about to make another batch. I notice the tea does not taste as bitter as it did a month ago. So the polysaccharides could have broke down over time, or it could just be that I'm getting more used to the flavor.
This time I've decided to try and improve on the first batch by: -Blending the dried reishi -Pressure canning to brew the tea -Using distilled water instead of tap water
After the first batch was a success I wanted to make a thread detailing how I make this second batch and hear some opinions on the validity of this method.
Before that I want to touch on botulism, I didn't know anything about botulism before trying this because I've only ever used my canners for spawn.
Clostridium botulinum is a bacteria that likes to proliferate in wet places without oxygen, it creates the toxin botulinum which can fuck your shit up post haste. The bacteria doesn't like acid, so for high acid goods (lower than 4.6 pH) boiling water for canning is appropriate.
For foods with pH above 4.6, pressure canners are required. Clostridium botulinum spores are destroyed at 240 degrees Fahrenheit which is at or above 10 psi, depending on elevation. Different recipes for canned foods are balances between what temperature is required to render the food safe, while still leaving the food with good flavor.
For the purpose of making reishi tea the latter goal can be discarded.
To be completely safe I canned the first batch of tea at 15 psi for 40 minutes. However, I recently took my gauge from that canner into my local county clerk for testing and it was 3 psi over. I replaced the gauge but have been boiling that batch of reishi tea for 5 minutes before drinking for peace of mind even though the actual PSI was 12 and the seals on the jar lids remained tight. The toxin itself is broken down by boiling and is safe after 5 minutes of rolling boil.
Today I'll be using: 66.4g Ganoderma lucidum 75.0g Ganoderma oregonense 70.5g Ganderma applanatum 22.7g Trametes versicolor 25.5 cups of distilled water
(From R->L G.l, G.o, G.a)
 The quantities are just what I have on hand right now. It equals out to about 4 grams of red reishi (lucidum/oregonense) per 1/3 of a pint which is what I generally drink at a time. Plus about 2 grams of applanatum, and just over a half gram of turkey tail.
I bought 2 gallons of distilled water because 12 pints is 1.5 gallons. Used 7 quarts and 1 pint jar because the 7 quarts didn't quite fit all the material and the 1.5 gallons of water. I used an extra cup and a half of water because I doubt I'll be able to squeeze every drop back out of the material. Also so I can taste the different teas before mixing them together. I'll be rebrewing each to see what that yields.
I kept the different material separate this time to see what the end product of each looks like, with the exception of the pint which has both G. lucidum and G. oregonense.
Here's the process:
Broke up the dried pieces and use a blender to grind them into a finer material (G.l)

Distributed the material into jars (From R->L G.l, G.o, G.a, T.v)

Poured water in and put on lids. I used lids that I've already canned the first batch with. I wanted to save new lids for the actual canning of the tea. I read mixed opinions on reusing lids for canning, but it is suggested by the companies that you only use lids once for the safest seal. For simply brewing this is not imperative because the jars will be emptied immediately.
This picture is after an hour of sitting in the water. I didn't plan on pre-soaking but Granny invited me over for dinner. (From R->L G.l+G.o, G.l, G.o, G.a, T.v)
 I probably should have used more head-space, these are filled right to the beginning of the threading.
Loaded jars into a PC and brought it up to 15 PSI for 2 hours It was actually more like 18 psi as this was my first time with this PC. My other one has a leaky petcock so it's a bit easier to adjust pressure. Two hours might be overkill, but it's how long I usually boil so for a direct comparison I used the same amount of time.
Removed jars after the PC cooled down. I ended up falling asleep after turning the heat off, so they sat in the PC over night. (From R->L G.l+G.o, G.l+G.o, G.l, G.o, G.a, T.v)
 After a shake (From R->L G.l+G.o, G.l+G.o, G.l, G.o, G.a, T.v)
 The G. lucidum was very bitter, both the G. oregonense and G. applanatum were mild. They tasted like the last of my tea from the previous batch. I've never made turkey tail tea before, but this wasn't very bitter, kind of weird. I prefer the flavor of reishi.
Strained and mixed together I first strained out the large chucks pouring through a mesh strainer and a canning jar funnel into a half gallon jar. Then I poured that liquid through a coffee filter in a normal funnel into the gallon jugs. This took about an hour and I had to use 7 coffee filters because they get clogged after about a quart. I poured the mix back and forth between the gallon jugs to mix it up. A large bowl would be easier.
The first batch was not filtered through coffee filters. There were a lot of bits in the bottom of the pints and I ended up filtered those out when I got to the bottom of each jar.
Filled 12 pint jars

Canned at 15 psi for 45 minutes Once out of the canner the rings should be removed. The hermetic seal formed by canning will hold the lids on very tightly. I stored the last batch in a drawer, refrigerating the jars as they were opened.

I also did a second brew with the material and this is what that looked like. (From R->L G.l, G.o, G.a, T.v)
 After a shake (From R->L G.l, G.o, G.a, T.v)

I hope this helps anyone who wants to drink more reishi tea but doesn't like the hassle of making it every week.

I'm curious what you guys think about the process. What could be improved? Are the polysaccharides really being preserved? Is boiling a better way to extract them? What methods do you use to make reishi tea?
Edited by Speckles (12/15/16 02:07 PM)
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Canned Reishi Tea [Re: Speckles]
#23928235 - 12/15/16 02:14 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Not sure about how many of those compounds were destroyed at PC temps. I know reishi has many compounds and im sure some are not heat tolerant, not sure which ones or how important they are. From what ive read boiling is not the best way to extract but rather a low heat like 160-180F for example, thats what i aim for with my tinctures and they are like crack with two dropper full doses. Tinctures are of course best because you dissolve more compounds that are easier absorbed with a double extraction, alcohol and water soluble compounds.
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Speckles
Sober AF



Registered: 09/19/13
Posts: 236
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Re: Canned Reishi Tea [Re: Gr0wer]
#23928270 - 12/15/16 02:37 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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That's interesting, I've had trouble finding a whole lot about optimal temperatures. I just saw your post on Marty's reishi grow thread about how you make tincture, that sounds like a good method! This tea definitely doesn't come out like crack, but I have dodged the colds and flus my coworkers have experienced the last month.
I'd like to avoid alcohol in the mix which is part of the reason I tried canning for long term preservation. I know that means I'm missing out on the triterpenes though. I'll try making the tea with lower temperatures next time and see how that comes out. Do you think soaking the reishi in alcohol first aids in the water extraction?
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Canned Reishi Tea [Re: Speckles]
#23928281 - 12/15/16 02:45 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Not all chemicals are soluble in water. Some are only fat, some alcohol, and some water. By using alcohol you extract and make chemicals that are readily available to your body. Since alcohol is absorbed by your body anything bonded to it will also be absorbed, otherwise it would just pass through. When i take 2-3 droppers full of reishi tincture extract i feel the effects flow through me within the hour. If you are a recovered alcoholic it wouldn't be a good idea, but if not your talking super low doses of alcohol mostly for the bonding affects of the medicine and it really adds to the dosage. My tinctures make 1oz of liquid from about 2g reishi and that makes like 25 droppers full if i recall correctly.
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Speckles
Sober AF



Registered: 09/19/13
Posts: 236
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Re: Canned Reishi Tea [Re: Gr0wer]
#23929036 - 12/15/16 11:32 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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I think only the polysaccharides are water soluble, but those are the immunomodulators and I'm most interested in their effects. I'm curious about the other compounds, but the alcohol even in small amounts wouldn't be a good idea for me. For non-alcoholics that definitely sounds like a better method.
It's awesome how far 2 grams will go in that tincture! If you're taking 2 dropper fulls twice a day then the 2 grams lasts you about 6 days?
In this batch of tea I'm drinking about 6 grams of the these three Ganoderma species combined at a time, requiring much more input. I've got some reishi colonizing right now so hopefully I'll be able to keep the supply up and use fresher material for the next batches. The lucidum I used here was harvested back in April of 2014 2015. The oregonense was harvested in October-November of this year which is rather late in their season.
When you make tincture do you have preference between drying the antlers/conks prior or using them fresh?
Edit: realized my timeframe was off, still old fruits
Edited by Speckles (12/15/16 02:09 PM)
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Canned Reishi Tea [Re: Speckles]
#23931320 - 12/16/16 12:33 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Yea dry em for sure. And yea 1oz lasts a week. Often i put an oz into my cold brew coffee batch for the week. I use the chaga and shiitake.
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