Fomes Fomentarius Tinder Production

[Longstrider]

Surely not too much of a task for a man with the tools to deadwood oaks? Careful application of raw power can work wonders with stubborn problems you know...

Either that or break out the potato peeler like Toddy says.

I know... I'll keep repeating the mantra until I remeber...

Stihl and McCulloch do not make traditional bushcraft tools.
Stihl and McCulloch do not make traditional bushcraft tools.
Stihl and McCulloch do not make traditional bushcraft tools....

 

[Toddy]

I was in Knole Park today deadwoding oak trees for the NT great site just a shame the high visitor numbers spoil it a bit. The Fallow deer are so tame they come right upto you and they didn't even run very far when we started up chainsaws.

I have got half of a very large Fomes to turn into Amadou when I get round to it, sounds like it is going to be a bit of a task.

Make life easy (ier ) cut it up while it's fresh, 'cos it's a bit of a bu88er when it's dried hard. You don't need to do the boiling, etc., just now, but get it apart while it's still moist.

Sounds like a good day's work.
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Marts]

I don't mean to put down what many people have suggested, but I have extracted quite a bit of F. Fomet. and so long as you do what Toddy suggests (i.e. extract it while fresh) I have always been able to use it without any kind of additional treatment, just ruffing it up with the edge of a blade once it's dry has always been quite enough for me to take a spark from a firesteel. In fact using one of Jason01's viking steels and flint still works with a bit more patience. (Big hand BTW for Jason's steels which are awesome)

Don't know whether this is a case of 'folklore' on preperation methods or what, but I've always found it doesn't need anything else.

One last point - if you don't do what Toddy suggests you will have a hell of a time - I kept one 12 inch specimin for a year in the shed. When I tried to cut it open I hadn't a chance in hell - it was tougher than concrete. I ended up putting it in my chimenea, where it burned merrily for hours.

 

[Laurence Dell]

Looks like I could be attacking it with a chainsaw then it was already quite an old and mature specimen when I found it attached to a tree that we were felling.

 

[Marts]

No Lawrence that shouldn't matter. The fungus would still be alive if the tree was viable. It should continue sucking the nutrients it needs right up until you killed the tree. That being said - the older the F.F. the harder its outer shell will be as it's an annual growth fungus (i.e. it can live and grow for years)

 

[Toddy]

Looks like I could be attacking it with a chainsaw then it was already quite an old and mature specimen when I found it attached to a tree that we were felling.

If it's straight off the tree you can slice it up with a pocket knife, if you let it dry you'll wish you *had* taken the chainsaw to it! Age/size doesn't matter once the fungus is past the baby stage. Did you notice if it was shedding spores, down you way already? They aren't, yet, up here.

Thanks for the info Marts, I've got some to take along this weekend and we might have a play.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[tomtom]

another top class how-to patric, Thanks!!

 

[Marts]

No worries Toddy - I have my fungi jedi master to blame for this (read: local mycology professor). I bothered him so much about fomes F. that he carried out his own research on it. He now teaches his students that F.F. was a fungus used by primitive people and also by modern bushcrafters for fire lighting. He hadn't a clue about it before until I demonstrated it on a foray one day lighting my kelly kettle with Jason01's fire steel . one-nil to the bushcrafters

 

[Fenlander]

Excellent: I've been swithering about using the pressure cooker to speed up the dye extraction, I hadn't considered the results on the amadou

Cheers,
Toddy

I feel less guilty about using the slow cooker, knowing you'll be using a pressure cooker

 

[jason01]

I don't mean to put down what many people have suggested, but I have extracted quite a bit of F. Fomet. and so long as you do what Toddy suggests (i.e. extract it while fresh) I have always been able to use it without any kind of additional treatment, just ruffing it up with the edge of a blade once it's dry has always been quite enough for me to take a spark from a firesteel. In fact using one of Jason01's viking steels and flint still works with a bit more patience. (Big hand BTW for Jason's steels which are awesome)

Don't know whether this is a case of 'folklore' on preperation methods or what, but I've always found it doesn't need anything else.

One last point - if you don't do what Toddy suggests you will have a hell of a time - I kept one 12 inch specimin for a year in the shed. When I tried to cut it open I hadn't a chance in hell - it was tougher than concrete. I ended up putting it in my chimenea, where it burned merrily for hours.

Yep I agree with you Marts, no need to boil it up in urine and ash for days on end, Ive also managed to get unprocessed F/F to catch a spark with a flint and steel, surprisingly easily as it goes. I should say the F/F was somebody elses and it appeared to be a particularly large specimen but it was definately just dried out and fluffed up. I had less success with smaller specimens that I'd gathered myself, couldnt seem to get the cambium? to fluff up enough and of course theres less of it on the smaller ones.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

I also posted this to the Christmas Moot thread: -


I have been kindly given some fomes fomentarius <thanks Fred> and was wondering if anybody would like me to bring one along to prepare at the Christmas Moot?

I've never had a go at this so it might be interesting!

Will need suitable vessel to boil it in though.

Phil.

 

[jamesraykenney]

Yep I agree with you Marts, no need to boil it up in urine and ash for days on end, Ive also managed to get unprocessed F/F to catch a spark with a flint and steel, surprisingly easily as it goes. I should say the F/F was somebody elses and it appeared to be a particularly large specimen but it was definately just dried out and fluffed up. I had less success with smaller specimens that I'd gathered myself, couldnt seem to get the cambium? to fluff up enough and of course theres less of it on the smaller ones.

I have only heard of using that method with 'False Tender Fungus'. That makes them work as well as the real stuff.

 

[bearofbritain]

Is there a right time to harvest the fungi?

I have tried this and its not worked out for me how I hoped.

I wonder if you can help?

Once I boiled it for 24hrs the fungi appeared spongy, as soon as i started to pound it, it just broke up into tiny pieces. Evidently I have not done something correct...?

 

[Toddy]

Hello and welcome

Did you take out the fibrous stuff or did you boil the whole fungus ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[JAG009]

Is there a right time to harvest the fungi?

I have tried this and its not worked out for me how I hoped.

I wonder if you can help?

Once I boiled it for 24hrs the fungi appeared spongy, as soon as i started to pound it, it just broke up into tiny pieces. Evidently I have not done something correct...?

Dont boil the fungus just put it in hot water and ash solution and leave it over night ,take it out rinse and let it dry give it a gentle pounding if you want but it works without doing it at all

Oh and as toddy has all ready asked did you just use the outside layer ?you need to remove the fibrous stuff in the middle of the fungus

Jason

 

[bearofbritain]

Arr ok, I think this is where I went wrong, I stripped the outer case, and thats all.

So forgive me for asking a stupid question as the photos are excellent, however, (I evidently put the hole thing in), how thick is the fibrous layer, and is there a distinct difference between that and the rest of the fungus?

Thanks!

 

[The Big Lebowski]

This should help... You can see the 'trama' layer between the two pictures.

It may go a bit further bown below the white marked area , but its difficult to see from the image.

Copy form web...

Amadou is made from the Horse&#8217;s Hoof Fungus, which has a fine, velvety layer resembling suede leather.
This suede-like trama layer is sandwiched between a tough nut-like, outer,
layer called the Cuticle and the pores, which are thousands of tiny tubes all packed together.

 

[21st century pict]

We got tons of horses hoof fungus here Birch country and all that but no flint and very little chert. Nice and clear tutorial Bravo.

 

[kodiakjoe]

Great illustrated tutorial and excelent collective advice - definitely going to give it a go. Thanks for posting