G&W Sugarhouse "Birchworks"

[Ian MacMillan]

With maple done for this year for us it's time to try out birch. My brother and sister live out in Alaska and after visiting them I decided to add some Alaskan flavor to our operation and add Birch and Fireweed syrup.

Reading up a lot on birch I learned the trees will give you quite a bit of sap, which is good for the ~120-100:1 needed . I decided to start small and picked out 9 trees and placed them on 9 buckets. We are collecting everyday at ~35-50 gal a day.... needless to say I am definitely putting this on tubing next year!

[CampHamp]

Sounds interesting! Have you tasted it before? Do you like it compared to maple? Do you know if it boils similar to maple - obviously more boiling time but is it the same foam-up and niter properties?

I'd like to try this one year, but I'm all cleaned up and so many spring projects to start now.

[Ian MacMillan]

Jamie,
I have tried it but you really can't compare it to Maple. The birch syrup is used mostly for cooking and tends to have a molasses type flavor.

Boiling is a little lower as it tends to scorch and get bitter quite easily from what I've read so you don't want to hard of a boil. From what I am reading it does seem to have a little bit more nitre to deal with. I've never actually seen it produced other than a video from Alaskan Birch but they didn't show the inside of the pans so I don't know how the foam up is.

[CampHamp]

Thanks Ian. Good luck with it! Please let us know how it goes and which types of birch you end up tapping.

[Ian MacMillan]

So far we have 8 blacks and 1 white. Not too many yellow/silver on our property. All 9 are in about a 100'x40' area and I haven't finished inventory of the rest of the property yet but we have quite a bit of black and white 12"+. I'm thinking that I might be able to get about 50 on gravity next year.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

if you can get a hold of a guy names kevin sargent he actually lives in the upside down state someplace:D, he travels to alaska every year and makes birch syrup. From what i understand there is a huge market in Europe for Birch syrup big money.

He trolls the site every once in a while he could probaby give you some good info. ill let him know you started a thread maybe he will contact you.

I wouldnt pour a bunch on my pancakes

[Sweet Maple Trees]

I did not make it this year. Earliest start to season in over a quarter of a century by 2 weeks+. Just too much going on right now. Have never seen birch syrup boiling in the evaporator to say what the foaming is like? Spent too much time in the woods on tubing.
Jamie,
I have tried it but you really can't compare it to Maple. The birch syrup is used mostly for cooking and tends to have a molasses type flavor.

Boiling is a little lower as it tends to scorch and get bitter quite easily from what I've read so you don't want to hard of a boil. From what I am reading it does seem to have a little bit more nitre to deal with. I've never actually seen it produced other than a video from Alaskan Birch but they didn't show the inside of the pans so I don't know how the foam up is.


if you can get a hold of a guy names kevin sargent he actually lives in the upside down state someplace:D, he travels to alaska every year and makes birch syrup. From what i understand there is a huge market in Europe for Birch syrup big money.

He trolls the site every once in a while he could probaby give you some good info. ill let him know you started a thread maybe he will contact you.

I wouldnt pour a bunch on my pancakes

[NhShaun]

How is this birch syrup thing going for you? Have you finished any off at this point ?