Sap Tapping Tutorial

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Nice to see someone using a smaller bit! Save the trees!!!! no need to plunge great holes in them. Thanks Graham.

I bought some sugar maple spiles off ebay and tried them out yesterday, they're ace! I got about 400ml in one hour! You could get a good guzzle!

Leo
 

forestwalker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Another technique that I use quite a bit is to simply cut off a small branch/twig (say around 3--5 mm) and sticking the bottle on top of that. Some branches have given over 500 ml/day (i.e. the bottle was overfull), others a few tablespoons.
 

Blutack

Member
Nov 21, 2007
32
0
Glasgowish
Fantastic! I know the answer is roughly "spring", but when's the best time to do this? Are there any other signs that the sap is rising, or is it just a case of trying a wee nick to see, as per the photos?
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,320
246
54
Wiltshire
Fantastic! I know the answer is roughly "spring", but when's the best time to do this? Are there any other signs that the sap is rising, or is it just a case of trying a wee nick to see, as per the photos?

I wait till the first green buds appear - size of a squirrels toe I think lord mears describes it as.
 

trinder

New Member
Jun 20, 2010
2
0
tewkesbury
On a different thread I have asked about using cedar oil to (don't know the dilution) use to control fleas on dogs. Would it be possible to use this technique to get the cedar oil in the first place? thanks
 

Totumpole

Native
Jan 16, 2011
1,066
9
Cairns, Australia
Nice one Graham! This is an awesome thread. goodjob




What other uses are there for sap other than drinking it? Are particular types of sap suited to particular functions?

It has numerous uses, but as far as I know all consumption related. You can brew wine or beer with it, use it as the base for a fine pine needle tea. Another option is to can boil it down to make syrup. I beleive it takes 80litres to make 1 litre of good thick syrup (compared to maple which is 40:1) which is an epic amount of boiling and lots of steam. You dont have to boil it right down, you will just have a lighter, less syrupy syrup if that makes sense.

In saying this I have never tried any of the above, but look forward to doing so very soon - "the rise" has started, but not yet flowing freely.
 

Everything Mac

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 30, 2009
3,112
83
36
Scotland
I might be off out for a couple of days next week so I think I'll give it a go. :D

I'm going to take it slowly though as my mum is allergic to birch.

Andy
 

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