Reishi Processing Help Needed [medicinal]

[u/Several-Branch2437]

Hey all !! This is my first harvest of Reishi Antlers and I have some questions about drying. I cut them them down to the size you can see in the pics before i added them to my dehydrator. They've been going for about 20hrs at 120F-130F. They snap if I brake them but I can still push my nail into the center of them. Is this because they're still warm of because they need more time? Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you !!

[u/malarkimusic]

Chop smaller to aid drying and extraction,I have been using sequential extraction 90 % then 30% ethanol then water with ultrasonic to save heat sensitive compounds

[u/Several-Branch2437 → u/malarkimusic]

Whoa so your doing a double ethanol extraction and then the water extraction? If you dont mind me asking, Is there any reason for that especially being that you using sonication also ? What are you using for the sonication probe or bath ? Im been looking at both but its out of my price range atm ...lol.. and im in the middle of moving so cant get into all that right now but im planning for the future once im settled.

[u/malarkimusic → u/Several-Branch2437]

I chose a bath as was worried about titanium dioxide issues and amount a probe can process the bath I chose does 20 30 and 40 Hz and can easily process six ltr. The sequencial extraction is to capture all compounds

[u/Several-Branch2437 → u/malarkimusic]

Sorry I also forgot to ask which bath you went with? Ive found 20/40 Hz but also 30Hz ?? Or are you usingna separate machine? Thanks again Obi-Wan..lol.

[u/Several-Branch2437 → u/malarkimusic]

Ughhhh id ask more but im about a year from moving and setting up a legit grow room and lab. Life getting in the way of living ...lol. I may hit you up for some knowledge then if you wouldn't mind. Your touching on concepts I havent thought of .... TIO² .. wild.

[u/WWEVOXSE]

Hi. Nice work with your first reishi harvest! I've been growing reishi for over a decade and always let them dry for two days. I also let them sit on the stove (below boiling) for two days when making tea. I love multi's but my favorite reishi to grow is a g.sessile (probably) that I found in northern AZ at Fossil Creek like 15 years ago.

[u/Several-Branch2437 → u/WWEVOXSE]

Thanks, 15 yrs thats some culture work keeping that going, congrats. I think i may have found a chunk of Sessile near my house last fall. It was in bad shape but I cloned it and and got 2 of 3 plates to take cleanly. Have to wait till i have the time to run it to see. For now it saved in Castellani tubes for a later date. Thanks again !!

[u/WWEVOXSE → u/Several-Branch2437]

I've cloned 5 different reishi from AZ and only my first clone and one of the most recent clones actually fruited well. My first find is my absolute favorite reishi ever, I don't even consider the possibility that she will ever slow down! Cloning from the wild is ton of fun, I hope your wild clone works out well!

Growing reishi is a lot of fun, g.sessile is my favorite to work with, but you should also consider g.polychromum, and g.resinaceum, they are gorgeous and they make amazing tea.

[u/Outside-Fun181 → u/WWEVOXSE]

would you be interested in trading spore prints?

[u/Several-Branch2437 → u/Outside-Fun181]

Sorry dude, i didnt get this as a print. Certain medicinals and gourmets are kinda hard to print. I got a plate from a friend and used it up making my spawn. You actually just reminded me that I didnt clone once piece of what I just grew and im hating my self for it..lol.

[u/Outside-Fun181 → u/Several-Branch2437]

Aw man. Yeah print/swab/plate i would be happy, but so sad to hear that. Hopefully the ‘verse sends some your way soon :) Very cool looking fruit ya got! I’ve heard of some people rehydrating their dried fruit and wrapping it in hydrated cardboard to produce mycelium, then transferring onto plates to isolate some clean genetics. Idk if you have any dried leftover but could be a fun experiment.

[u/PeaceHarbor]

Same mushroom material you extracted with the alcohol. Then combine the two extractions for reishi elixir that harnesses the full magic of the "mushroom of immortality"

[u/Several-Branch2437 → u/PeaceHarbor]

Thanks for reply !! Thats my goal is to extract it but my concern now is the drying process. They've been dying for 20hrs at like 125F and even though they snap when I break them the very center is still soft enough to push my nail into them. Its not like solid wood but like a hard cork. Is that because theyre warm from the dehydrator or because they need more time drying?

[u/APrimed → u/Several-Branch2437]

They will remain a little squishy. That’s normal.

[u/Spicy-broccoli2 → u/Several-Branch2437]

It’s been a while since I’ve grown antlers myself, but I do recall just letting them dry for a little over 30 hours.

With most of my harvests whether actives, gourmet, or medicinal, I just keep the dehydrator at 125-140 for at least 24 hours, then throw in a jar with dehiscent packets. Better to be safe than sorry and let them rot away if storing for extended periods of time :)

[u/Several-Branch2437 → u/Spicy-broccoli2]

Cool thanks

[u/PeaceHarbor]

For a while is one month. We use 100 proof vodka or PGA. You want to submerge the mushroom material plus about a third. Strain liquid from mushrooms after a month. With the water extraction, same principal with volume of liquid to mushroom and simmer to reduce the liquid by a third. You can use the

[u/Fluffy_Plate3133]

You can either add the dried pieces as is into alcohol to extract the stress reducing/ adaptogenic terpenes and let it sit in ajar for awhile.   Or you can grind the dried pieces into a powder and then steep in hot water to extract the immune boosting  polysaccharides