Making Lion’s Mane Tincture | Mushroom Double Extraction

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Lion’s mane mushrooms are known for containing compounds with incredible nootropic benefits, including enhanced focus, elevated energy, and overall brain health. They have even been known to promote neurogenesis and enhanced memory. Since many of these compounds aren’t easily bioavailable to humans, making a tincture is a great way to unlock the beneficial effects of lion’s mane.
This video covers the full process of making a dual extracted lion’s mane tincture, starting from dried lion’s mane mushrooms and using no fancy equipment.
I’ve found it’s best to mix this tincture into a beverage like tea or coffee when taking it. You can also use this as a replacement for caffeine by adding it to a non-caffeinated beverage or even water.
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00:00 Intro
00:34 Grinding up the lion’s mane
01:09 Alcohol extraction
01:47 Straining the alcohol extraction
02:33 Dilution equation
03:15 Hot water decoction
04:42 Straining the decoction
05:22 Mixing the extractions
05:45 Bottling

[@paulamorini9423]

Great video! Gratitude for taking the time to teach the correct way to do both extractions! 😊

[@camsurbanfarm]

My pleasure, thanks for watching!

[@IrishKingzz]

If i close my eyes and just listen, i swear its Hamilton Morrison im listening too 😂

[@camsurbanfarm]

You're too kind! 😀

[@user-in8bz3kd7d]

​@@camsurbanfarmWhere are the Lion's Mane Mushroom fungal spores and how to extract the fungal spore species value?

[@mollygress2772]

Love this

[@arlandahancock3488]

Hey thank you so much for sharing! Especially the math!! Love it thank you. I do a powder of about 18 different mushys. From Agarocon-Lions Mane. I make Chaga I am from MN so I harvest. (Very little for personal use, I started sharing with friends) I don’t know how to start a business so I’m looking into that. But this helps a lot!! I appreciate your knowledge sharing!

[@mrnewell1]

Thanks..great content!!

[@camsurbanfarm]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@renasdupont2806]

finally a helpful video ..clear and to the point..added to my browsers favorite...dont delete please lol,thanks!!!

[@camsurbanfarm]

Glad you found it helpful, thanks for watching!

[@charleswolff3706]

Cool brah, love your vid

[@camsurbanfarm]

Thanks for stopping by!

[@theoldboy70]

That’s way more water than I’ve been using but I SUCK at math so maybe I need to switch up my technique to match your instructions. Thanks for the info and video. 👍🏻

[@camsurbanfarm]

Maybe you’re using an alcohol with a lower abv, in which case you’d want to use less water to get the 30% final abv. Thanks for the comment!

[@katherinesaldarriaga7720]

Great info. Thanks

[@camsurbanfarm]

Thanks for watching :)

[@themono7508]

Great video! Content is spot on for what I was looking for. I would just suggest keeping the background music lower volume.

[@camsurbanfarm]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@theresa29569]

Thank u. This i can do. Some explanations r very complicated. Not this one.

[@camsurbanfarm]

Thanks for watching!

[@369ranch]

Finally making our first batch after 4.5 weeks of shaking it daily! Can’t wait.

[@shannoncolcord1223]

Me too, today 🤗

[@camsurbanfarm]

Awesome! All that hard work is about to pay off :)

[@maryjo2412]

Is there a way to print the directions? Just in case the computer stops working. I appreciate your assistance with this

[@camsurbanfarm]

I have a writeup of this process on my website: camsurbanfarm.com/basic-tincture/. You can totally print it from there!

[@Ingeliukas]

I think I will use my oven for water extraction, as I can set temperature there more accurate.

[@camsurbanfarm]

Good idea!

[@niacox6930]

How do you know the potency of the final product?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Without lab analysis you can't know for certain, but the amount of cloudiness in the final product gives some indication of the beta-glucan level. For at home tincture making the potency is generally just measured in terms of the dry weight of mushrooms used.

[@lifeontheroad_]

How do we know the decoction is done? I must have missed that

[@camsurbanfarm]

There's not necessarily a set time it's done, most of the beta glucans are extracted in the first hour or so but I'd recommend letting it run for 2-6 hours.

[@casdarealest4478]

So first thank you! Second, when using water as part of making the extract..will it lower the shelf life or it’ll be about the same vs just using alcohol?

[@camsurbanfarm]

As long as the abv is above 20% the shelf life should be pretty much unlimited, especially if stored in a cool, dark place. I usually do 25-30% to play it safe. Theoretically the higher the alcohol % the longer the shelf life, but past 20% it lasts forever anyway so there's not really an advantage to using only alcohol. Make sure to use the dilution equation and plug in the abv of the alcohol you're using to make sure the final abv is high enough :)

[@ErickvdK]

Please apply some 3in1 oil to your vocal cords...😊

[@user-tw7dv8pn1u]

‏great video i appreciate it. I duck at math, i dont understand how do i get 30% alcohol. Please make it simple for me. Ididnt measure the alcohol at first... i put 50 gram lions Maine powder, and coverd it with vodka. Now what? Thanks🙏🙏

[@evenatienzaart]

Your hands are beautiful.

[@user-mh3vu9vw9i]

Can the tincture be stored in food grade HDPE bottles?

[@camsurbanfarm]

I think that would probably be fine, though I always favor glass

[@TrafferGaming]

Does 62% alcohol cooking wine work for alcohol extraction?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Any alcohol above 40% abv could technically work, but I've never heard of cooking wine having an abv that high. In general, I would recommend using vodka or grain alcohol because they make the cleanest tasting result and store well.

[@einsmartinez9596]

Where do I store the finished product for the longest shelf life. Fridge? Dark closet?

[@camsurbanfarm]

As long as the alcohol content is above 20% the shelf life will be at least a year at normal room temperature. Cool, dark conditions would extend this even further.

[@ellalasek2589]

Great video but why do you mixing these two together? Cant we just use the first one with alcohol?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Some of the compounds in lion's mane are better extracted with alcohol and some are better extracted with water. By doing both you can get all the benefits. The alcohol alone won't pull out the fungal beta glucans, which are highly medicinal.

[@ale.ktheo.g4394]

Do you have to shake your tincture (considering it's already in the 60ml glass) every time before taking?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Yes I’d recommend it, it’s common for the polysaccharides you extracted to settle to the bottom once mixed with alcohol, so shaking each time before use ensures they’re distributed evenly.

[@shannoncolcord1223]

I made my first batch yesterday. I got so excited when it was time to add the water part and it being finished that I forgot to measure the water and I think I didn't put enough water in, is that a problem or is there a way I can fix it. The amount I put in was close but I was still missing some.

[@camsurbanfarm]

The amounts don't have to be exact, so if it's close I wouldn't worry about it! Not enough water is also better than too much, as long as the abv ends up above ~20% you're good to go. The only downside to not enough water is that it might taste bad :)

[@mandy135426]

How long does your batch of it last for and where do you store it?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Since the alcohol content is around 30%, you don't really have to worry about these tinctures going bad! I'd say they'll last up to 5 years, and can be stored at room temperature. For super long term storage, keeping them a little cooler might be a good idea :)

[@jasonweston9522]

Do you see any problem with using a sous-vide immersion circulator for the hot-water decoction? Is there anything in there that needs to evaporate?

[@camsurbanfarm]

I think that could work fine, provided your able to have water in the bag with the mushrooms. The only problem I could foresee is that it might be tough to vacuum seal with water in there, but I'm not too well versed in sous-vide methods so I'm not sure if that's even necessary. Otherwise, I think it's a great idea, and would make it a lot easier to control the temperature. Evaporation is also not necessary - if anything, you're probably better off having it contained to prevent the loss of lower molecular weight compounds.

[@jasonweston9522]

​@@camsurbanfarm Thanks I gave it a go and seems to have worked well. I put water and mushroom in a big zip lock baggie and just lowered all but the top slowly into the water, forcing most of the air out, so it was easy to keep submerged and the contents inside had good contact with the bag/bath. I gave it 3 hours at 160 F, pulling it out to squish around a couple times.

[@camsurbanfarm]

@@jasonweston9522 Awesome! Seems like a great process!

[@cingram8939]

Dude do u sell bottles of this if so let me know

[@camsurbanfarm]

I do! I’m launching my website soon where I’ll have this and more up for sale, but in the meantime you can direct message me on instagram (@camsurbanfarm) if you’re interested in purchasing!

[@saltmarshworm]

Why dry them rather than tincture them fresh??

[@camsurbanfarm]

Mushrooms are between 80-90% water, so if you were to tincture them fresh the water in them would dilute the alcohol and make it less effective. You could theoretically do the water extraction first with fresh mushrooms, but you'd want to dehydrate them before the alcohol extraction anyway or else the residual water would dilute the alcohol.

[@paddington3028]

Aren't you evaporating the alcohol off during the water extraction part of the process.

[@camsurbanfarm]

The alcohol extraction is strained and set aside before the water extraction, so there won't be any alcohol to evaporate off besides the residual alcohol left in the mushrooms.

[@robertnovosad6979]

How much tincture in ml do you consume per day?

[@camsurbanfarm]

I usually take 2-4 mL a day

[@Jbfeels]

How much did this make?

[@camsurbanfarm]

This batch was about 800 mL

[@chief2547]

Can you put any tincture in a hot liquid? Such as tea?

[@camsurbanfarm]

You definitely can and it will still work, but there's some evidence that the heat will degrade the more delicate compounds in your tincture to some extent. This is probably not a huge issue for shorter periods of exposure like in a hot beverage, but I still like to drop it under my tongue and wash it down with water for maximum effects.

[@erinlight5020]

How long do you cook for?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Between 2-6 hours is fine, I usually do 3.

[@JeminiThaBard]

I used vodka, but I'm keeping it in the refrigerator. I'm afraid it might go bad some how.. 40% alcohol. Should I keep it steeped for a longer time as it's not as strong?

[@camsurbanfarm]

No need to keep it in the fridge, 40% alcohol will preserve it just fine! I would recommend steeping a little longer, around 4-6 weeks. Make sure to factor the alcohol strength into the amount of water decoction you use (using the dilution equation). You should be using much less water decoction to reach the 25-30% final abv required.

[@JeminiThaBard]

@@camsurbanfarm thank you for the quick reply! I forgot to mention I blended it up in Vitamix , you are right it should be ok. I'll steep it for a month. Thanks!

[@user-wd6xh3qs6h]

alcohol can never go bad

[@whisperingwinds1040]

Finally a straight to the point video. Thanks 😊

[@BorneoCicada]

Would you say that using an electric dehydrator removes some of the medicinal properties instead of natural wind/ sun dehydration?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Most of the medicinal compounds that we are after with this extraction are maintained just fine when heat drying in a dehydrator as long as you keep the temperature below 140 F. You can definitely dehydrate at a lower temperature like 100 F if you're concerned, this might just take longer (possibly up to 24 hours depending on qty). I wouldn't recommend drying mushrooms in the sun or outside since it would likely take too long and they would never get fully dehydrated since air carries moisture. You can also just skip the dehydrating and make this tincture with fresh mushrooms as long as you factor the ~80-90% water content by weight into your dilution equation calculation :)

[@BorneoCicada]

@@camsurbanfarm thank you so much for your detailed answer! Do you know if by doing a double extraction you also remove some % of the mushroom toxicity levels?

[@camsurbanfarm]

No problem! Lion's mane mushrooms are non toxic and can even be eaten without extraction after cooking. The goal with extraction is simply to get past the cell walls of the mushroom and extract the alcohol and water soluble compounds within since humans can't absorb these as well if the mushroom is just cooked and eaten. @@BorneoCicada

[@BorneoCicada]

@@camsurbanfarm thank you so much! My mom works with natural medicine and has been creating doubts in my world in regards to Mushrooms 🥲I want to create tinctures of lots of mushrooms and she just talks and talks about their toxicity and that I can harm someone and yada yada yada ☹️ Do you know where can I find details about toxicity in Medicinal / edible mushrooms?

[@camsurbanfarm]

It's understandable to be hesitant about using mushrooms since there are species that contain dangerous toxins. The gourmet and medicinal mushrooms I work with are all non toxic however, and there is ever expanding research confirming their benefits. There are of course exceptions where people react differently to certain compounds, but for well known species like lion's mane, this is rare and no one has yet identified a dangerous toxin in it. I always suggest doing your own research regardless, mushroomreferences.com/ is a great resource with tons of recent studies on various topics. @@BorneoCicada

[@carmenwishlow1490]

Can you just do the alcohol and skip the water ? Also how many hours you didn't specify

[@camsurbanfarm]

You definitely can, but if you only want to do one and your goal is the most well rounded product, I'd recommend doing just the water decoction. This is when most of the primary medicinal compounds are extracted. The alcohol extraction needs to be left macerating in the jar for at least 2 weeks, so if you're tight on time, just doing the water decoction is a good route to go.

[@AceMaverickM]

@@camsurbanfarmhow many hours does it have to simmer ??

[@camsurbanfarm]

@@AceMaverickM 2-6 hours

[@kr3xor]

Is it necessary to evaporate the water and refill? Can't one just use a lid and keep the water inside?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Yes you can totally throw a lid on there! You'll still probably get some evaporation but definitely less. You can also use a crock pot if you have one.

[@itwasupposetohappen6424]

Is it possible to do it without alcohol?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Yes! Vegetable glycerin can be used to replace alcohol as the preserving ingredient in the tincture. Alcohol is the most effective solvent for triterpenes, so the best method would be to make the alcohol tincture as described in this video, then evaporate all the alcohol out in an oven or dehydrator and mix the resulting powder residue with vegetable glycerin. If you do this you want to shoot for around 75% glycerin in your final product to make it shelf stable (at least 2 parts glycerin mixed with alcohol extract powder for every 1 part water decoction). Glycerin has some extracting properties so it might be possible to just use it instead of the alcohol for that part of the extraction, but I think that would be somewhat less effective.

[@itwasupposetohappen6424]

@@camsurbanfarm thank for replying and sharing the information i will be sending positive energies to u 🔥🗣️💪🏾

[@pdwtv5350]

@@camsurbanfarmso do I dehydrate both the sludge and the liquid alcohol given from the extraction, then mix the evaporated liquid of that with 75% glycerin and the evaporated sludge with 25% water?

[@camsurbanfarm]

@@pdwtv5350 You'll still want to strain out the leftover mushroom material after the water extraction. Once you have two strained liquids, one alcohol and one water, you can evaporate the alcohol one down as much as you want, then mix in the water liquid extract. Then you'll want to measure how much liquid you have and mix in 3 times that amount of vegetable glycerin to result in around a 75% vegetable glycerin concentration.

[@lodenco691]

Thank you! Where do you store the mixture of alcohol and mushrooms while during that 2-6 week period? Dark? Light? Cold? Room temp? Thanks so much

[@camsurbanfarm]

It doesn't matter too much because the alcohol will make it shelf stable in pretty much any conditions, but ideally you'd store it in a cool, dark place. I just leave mine in a closet and it's all good.

[@katelynjohnson8587]

I think you have a nice voice just sayin

[@camsurbanfarm]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@jeremy9709]

Do you have to use dried lions mane?

[@camsurbanfarm]

Nope, fresh works too! You just have to be mindful that the the water from the fresh lion's mane will dilute the alcohol, which will effect the amount of water decoction you'll want to use. You'll also have to use a larger weight of fresh mushrooms, keeping in mind that they're around 90% water.

[@jeremy9709]

@@camsurbanfarm Makes sense. Thanks! Can't wait to try it

[@pyrotec4577]

I forgot to use the left over mushrooms! So I took mushrooms alcohol and water and heated it for 4 hours.. Still some benefits I hope!? 😅

[@camsurbanfarm]

Do you mean you added water the the alcohol extraction after straining and then heated that? If so, there's not really a benefit to doing that since the heat is meant to help the compounds come out of the mushrooms into the solution, so with no mushrooms it's not going to do anything and might degrade some of the alcohol extracted compounds. But if you mean you added more mushrooms to the alcohol extraction mixed with water then that would probably work to some degree. Either way, you should at least have some benefits from just your alcohol extraction.

[@pyrotec4577]

@@camsurbanfarm I heated to get rid of the alcohol and there was no mushrooms when heated. There can't be any alcohol in it, due to alcoholism

[@camsurbanfarm]

@@pyrotec4577 Gotcha, did you heat it before or after combining with the water? For an alcohol-free tincture, I recommend evaporating down the alcohol extraction before mixing with the water until you're left with an oil, then add that oil to the water extraction and add vegetable glycerin to make it shelf stable. You'll want to add at least 60% vegetable glycerin, for example if you have 1000 mL of water decoction, add 1500 mL of vegetable glycerin. Otherwise, the tincture will go bad without the alcohol.

[@pyrotec4577]

@@camsurbanfarm after, 170f for 3.5 hours and the turned off the heat. Is it useless? 😅 Thank for the alcohol free recipe 😊

[@camsurbanfarm]

@@pyrotec4577 I wouldn't say that, might be less potent than it would have been otherwise but still should be beneficial. I would try to use it within a week or two though if you're not going to add vegetable glycerin, and store it in the fridge.

[@gabel408]

Gotta work on the vocal fry but otherwise good vid

[@MatF001]

I had to mute it and use subtitles