Is this chaga fungus?

[Woodlander]

Morning all.
Is this chaga fungus? Found yesterday on a dead birch tree.
Cheers

 

[Ark79]

I WOULD!!! be 100% sure before you eat it buddy....not that I think you wouldn’t

 

[Woodlander]

I WOULD!!! be 100% sure before you eat it buddy....not that I think you wouldn’t

Oh I won't be eating it, looks a bit far gone for that if it is chaga. Was more thinking of using it for tinder and sharing it out with folks

 

[Ystranc]

Simple answer, I don't know. The green on the outside isn't helping identification. It looks like damaged bark. Breaking open the tree to find white fungus beneath the bark can help you verify. Chaga isn't normally eaten anyway, more often it's refined or dried and ground down to be used as tea.

Horseshoe fungus which is a polyphore bracket fungus makes good tinder but you'll need to dry it and char it. I find it much easier to get a spark to take on charcloth and then get it to spread to the charred fungus to creat a longer lasting hot coal.

 

[Ark79]

Oh I won't be eating it, looks a bit far gone for that if it is chaga. Was more thinking of using it for tinder and sharing it out with folks

No worries mate

 

[Woodlander]

Simple answer, I don't know. The green on the outside isn't helping identification. It looks like damaged bark. Breaking open the tree to find white fungus beneath the bark can help you verify. Chaga isn't normally eaten anyway, more often it's refined or dried and ground down to be used as tea.

Horseshoe fungus which is a polyphore bracket fungus makes good tinder but you'll need to dry it and char it. I find it much easier to get a spark to take on charcloth and then get it to spread to the charred fungus to creat a longer lasting hot coal.View attachment 15618

I use charcloth, but thought it was anot opportunity to try something different. Looking at it now I think it must have been a callous that healed a scar. It was by torchlight that I spotted it lol.