Heads up-Birch Sap Rising!

[fishy1]

Would drilling a hole into a tree about 10mm wide and 5cm deep then sticking in plastic pipe of the same diametere work? Should I cut the pipe in half lengthways? Wedge it in really tight or leave loose? I think I'm gonna need a lot of sap. Thanks

 

[bushyboo]

Before ye all run out to get a cup of spring elixer, stop for a minute and think about what you are doing. Sap is the blood of the tree, rising now in the wonderfully exultant first heartbeat of the forest. And we wound the tree to colloct this sap.
We have to be very careful to staunch the wound when we are finished, so that the tree does not bleed to death. For that reason, it would not make sense to use a piece of the tree we are wounding to make the plug, would it? It is much better to bring a clean piece of dry wood with us, or look for a clean piece of broken wood nearby, possibly a branch from winter's storm damage.
And clean is very important, not just for the plug, but for our tools. We don't want to inject an infection while we are at it. For this reason, I always wipe any blade I am about to use on living wood with teatree oil and clovebud oil.

you are only taking off one small piece - in effect pruning it not doing any damage if done right plus you are not putting any diseased piece of dead wood you found lying about into the tree

 

[Kristien]

i was out and about in the wyre forest last weekend, and tried some birch sap myself for the first time, it didnt really taste of anything, is it supposed to be sweet?

Im not sure if the tree was a silver birch or not, i dont think it was.

 

[fishy1]

Normally I drill an inch wide hole about and inch deep into a large tree and stick a tap into that. The sap seems to gather speed in the middle of the season, but when I did this just over a week ago (so early, one drip every32 seconds or so after the first five mins of 1 per sec) and I got 2.5 litres in 6 hours.

What do you use as taps for the auger holes?

 

[Mike Ameling]

i was out and about in the wyre forest last weekend, and tried some birch sap myself for the first time, it didnt really taste of anything, is it supposed to be sweet?

Im not sure if the tree was a silver birch or not, i dont think it was.

By modern tastes, it will not taste sweet. Most people will not be able to taste much of anything. The sap is almost all water, but with a slight amount of sugar in it along with trace minerals. The big "spring tonic" benefit from drinking it is those trace minerals. It helps your body replenish them that were depleted over the winter through eating canned/preserved/stored foods. It had far more of an effect in years past when fresh fruits and vegetables were less available.

The amount of sugar in the sap is so small that you have to boild down around 100 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. With sap from a Maple tree, it takes between 35 and 40 gallons to make 1 gallon of syrup - because of the higher sugar content.

So you might not be able to taste much - until you get a little more used to it.

Hope this helps.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Dave Budd]

What do you use as taps for the auger holes?

a stick with a groove carved down the length of it and carved to with the hole. I don't go in for these flash carved bits with pot hangers and the like, I prefer quick and simple

 

[watercress]

Birch sap vodka, Would like to try that Cheers.

 

[Dave Budd]

I'm making lots of it up this year. The bottle I did last year didn't last nearly long enough I'm trying different ratios of sap to vodka too, so far I have a litre of 60:40 sap:vodka and a smaller amount of 50:50.

I tried a different method of tapping this week. Rather than carving grooves in large sticks, drilling a hole, then carving a plug to fit afterwards, I used my knife. I stuck the tip of my knife into the tree (blade horizontal and pointing upwards a slightly)and knocked it in an inch with a mallet (lump of wood). Levered the blade up a bit to open the slot and then knocked in my tap. The tap was a 1/2" thick bit of hazel with a flat carved onto the bottom surface.

I filled a 2litre pot over a couple of days at the start of the week, form an 8" diam tree. I found a 12" tree yesterday afternoon and did the same, from that one I filled a demijon (about a gallon I think?) by midday today!

 

[palmnut]

I'm making lots of it up this year.

Excellent. Please make sure you save some for when I join you on the bow making course in April.



It's a brew I've never tasted before.

 

[spamel]

Just got back from a quick tapping sesh with The Ratbag. One tree in particular half filled a 1 litre pop bottle in less than an hour or so, it far outperformed the other trees so there is some variation in this game. I've only ever got a cup full before, but this year used a hand drill that The Ratbag brought along and some plastic B and Q tubing.

We are hoping to get a longer trip out on Friday, maybe we can get more then, but I must say that a glass of Breath with some birch sap in makes a fine drink after a tramp in the woods on a sunday morning!

 

[firecrest]

How long will it stay flowing for? Ive never collected it before but I went out yesterday to get some and after passing vales and vales of Birch, the wood I eventually went to did not have a SINGLE Birch tree! (I went specifically to these woods as i remembered them having a carpet of Ransom I was also after) I didnt have time afterwards. I wont get a chance until next week again now probably.

 

[abushcrafter]

same here

 

[Dave Budd]

I reckon you should still be ok next week. All you can do is try. If it's too late then all that will happen is that you don't get any sap!

 

[bobstevenson]

It's not started here in the area of Derbyshire I live. I tested some birch trees yesterday and the sap hasn't started rising but I did have a lovely time wandering in the woods. Will try again this coming weekend.

I'm going to try to make some Birch beer & wine once I get my hands on some sap

 

[brancho]

look here to see how it is really done

 

[abushcrafter]

thanks nice link

:You_Rock_