Birch??

[5050racing]

I have a lot of birch trees also,would it be worth while to try and make some separate from the maple and any different method of tapping them?Don't no the type they are dark gray not white.

[KenWP]

All the birch trees give sap just different sugar contents.I have all the different ones here and tap them all. It makes syrup that is like molasses.My wife uses it instead of. You do not leave the pan unattended when you get close to syrup. You also can cut down on the brix a bit as it keeps better then maple and helps with it not boiling over so bad.
Just remember it is 180 to 1 sap to syrup ratio.So you have to boil a lot of sap to get anywhere.

[PerryW]

you can try searching this site for birch info. i think the posters name is BCBIRCHTAPPER who posted a lot on the subject. I know the sugar content is very low, something like 100:1.

[5050racing]

Thanks I may give some a try

[happy thoughts]

Thanks I may give some a try

5050- before you start, make sure of the right time to tap. I've only read about it but as I remember birches are tapped later in the maple season, possibly even after the maple sugaring season ends. I've also read they may be a little less forgiving than maples about tapping. That said, I'd probably try a smaller 5/16 tap. I know the ratios of syrup/sap are awful but some people just drink the sap straight as a spring tonic.

Good luck and let us know how it goes if you give it a try.

[KenWP]

Last year for some dumb reason they ran the same time so never got done.Years past they start near the end of maple and run for another week or so.Some trees will run gallons of sap also and they run all day and night as a freeze actually screws them up and you have to wait for them to run again. Makes good wine and beer my wife tells me.