Recent research has elucidated the biological activity of mushroom extracts from a variety of species. Extracts have been shown to lower blood cholesterol, scavenge free radicals and inhibit certain enzymes. Specific strains of mushrooms have been shown to produce secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities, including commercially exploitable bioactive polysaccharides. In order to harbor the full potential of these polysaccharides for commercial applications, they must be extracted from these selected edible mushrooms at scale. One promising approach is to capture exopolysaccharides from the submerged fermentation of mushroom mycelium. The goal of this work is to produce crude polysaccharides from whole broth mycelium cultures and to identify and optimize variables that influence extraction efficiency. Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) seed plates were used to culture mycelium samples of Ganoderma lucidum and G. tsugae. Following a 2 week shake flask incubation, cultures were scaled up to 2 and 4 liter batches utilizing stirred-tank bioreactors. Culture conditions involved constant temperature (28℃), pH (5.5), agitation (100 RPM), and aeration (0.5v/v/m). Variable conditions included batch vs. fed batch, media enrichments, and run time. Samples were taken every 2-4 days and assayed for biomass, reducing sugars, and total polysaccharides. G. lucidum growth was optimized in a glucose-based media with a peak biomass of 7.6g/L. G. tsugae growth was optimized in a lactose-based media with a peak biomass of 6.4g/L. While G. lucidum produced more biomass compared to G. tsugae, extra biomass did not translate into more polysaccharide production. G. lucidum grown in a glucose-based media produced approximately 0.5g/L of polysaccharide whereas G. tsugae grown in a lactose-based media produced polysaccharide concentrations in excess of 1.0g/L. Based on this data, G. tsugae grown in lactose-based media has the most promise in optimizing polysaccharide production for commercial applications.