tapping birch trees

[sugarnut]

last year, i had a hard time finding info on tapping birch trees and making birch syrup. i found a pdf that has some good info if anyone is interested. it sounds like reverse osmosis is important, not only because of the amount of sap you need to reduce, but also because birch sap has fructose instead of sucrose like maples and the fructose is more fickle about high temperatures. interesting stuff though.

http://www.uaf.edu/snras/afes/pubs/misc/MP_04_02.pdf

[Gary R]

sugarnut, I've tapped them the last 2 years. Last year was a failure, because the air temperature was in the 70's when they ran. Will probably try again this year though. There are some older threads on this as other's have discussed it.

[BC Birch Tapper]

There are about ten birch tappers in Canada & several in Alaska . You're right about the Fructose, it does make a difference in your heating as you can't or shouldn't go above 100 deg C or you will scorch it & make tar.

The larger producers do use an RO to increase efficiency.
Birch typically runs after maple so there may be an opportunity to use your investment a bit longer if you're really into sleep deprivation.

Also the sugar content is much lower, 100 or 120 to 1 & the selling price is attractive though at $60 to $100/ litre

We've been tapping for 3 years and it has been a learning experience for sure.
The end product is nothing like maple, but it is classified as a "slow Food" & as such is sought after by restaurant chefs.

We use it as a marinade, or in sauces & glazes due to it's bold flavour.
We've talked to all the commercial producers in Canada & they all sell out. It's a bit of a niche product.

check out
http://birchsyrup.blogspot.com

[KenWP]

I will tap some of my yellow and sweet birch trees and test the sap on them along side my paper birchs and see what the sugar content is. The one book I have on makeing birch syrup and beer sugests to use the yellow and sweet instead of the paper but in italics it says that any birch can be used instead. Also says its dark molassas like stuff.

[BC Birch Tapper]

Ken,
Sugar content does vary between tree species. What I've read about birch is that it varies from a ratio of 80 to 1 up to 125 to 1. If a tree is a good producer it is always a good producer. Birch usually flows later than maple but the season could actually overlap, depending on conditions. Some folks on Vancouver Island & Southern BC tap Big leaf maple as well.

Birch does get very dark and does not behave the same as maple due to the sugar composition. ( mainly Fructose & glucose)
I would think that you could tap any birch or maple & make syrup. Just be sure that if you are selling the end product you indicate what it is.

One of the key with birch is collecting and evaporating every day. It can actually start to ferment if left too long.
At the start of the season the sap has a bit of sucrose in the sap, but as the season progresses that drops out & you are left with furctose & glucose.
Also maple has about 2 % suspended solids, while birch has about 8 %.

Not everyone makes pure birch syrup. Some producers stabilize or increase the sugar content by adding fructose after about 40 de brix to reach 66 deg brix.
The pure produce is very dark & bold, almost a carmel flavour & as dark as molasses but much thinner in consistancy. It does not behave the same as maple & as such you cannot make birch butter the same as maple butter. It will just burn.

We tap trees > 8 " diameter & only 1 tap on any tree. Birch is much shorter lived than maple. ( common to 80 +/- yrs here up to a max of 150 yrs)

We tap on the north side of the tree. We also use only food grade plastic pails & taps. Some folks believe that the extra micronutrients react with metal & gives an off taste.

We get an average sap flow of 4 litres ( 1 gal/day) but that can double on a good producer on a warm day. The sap will start to flow after you see the first butterflies/bugs in the spring which ususally means temps > 15 deg C.
If the temp drops well below 0 the flow will stop & you will need a good warm spell to get the flow back on.

[SWEETSAP]

Today we tapped a paper, a yellow, and a sweet birch. We only had a chance to check the sugar level on the sweet and paper. They both came in at .5 %. If we get a chance tomorrow we will get to the yellow. I do see that the boiling temp should be no more than 100 deg c but at that temp it seems that you would never get the water out.

[Gary R]

Check out this article.

http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/other/gtr-nc217/gtr_nc217page135.pdf

This is my third year doing Birch. The first year I boiled on a turkey fryer. It was going well until I was close to syrup. Burned the batch. Second we I used my new homemade evaporator. It was a bad sap year. Burned all of it by boiling to hard. This year, third is going ok. Getting about .75 gal. of sap average a day from the trees. sugar content is .5. All my trees are Black Birch (sweet). I am boiling with a small fire. My evaporator will do 13 gal. per hour but, it's taking me about 3 hours to process 15 to 20 gal. a day. I don't want to burn it again! I'm not making syrup as I've bought it from Alaska and I don't think it's that great. I am making birch beer and wine.

[BC Birch Tapper]

They say you're not a real syrup maker until you've burned some, so I guess I'm a syrup maker then. Although I do use the results for marinades, it's too expensive not to use it for something
As the season starts Birch actually has a bit of sucrose in the sap so it is a bit more forgiving for the early run.
As the season progresses the sucrose drops out & you're left with fructose & glucose which has a much lower boiling temp thus it scorches easier.
Any time you can remove water without heating the sap results in a lighter coloured syrup.
Any time you heat the sap it darkens in colour, thus the temp control is important. ( 100 deg C)
We finish on a propane finishing stove where temps can be controlled. I've only heard on one individual in the country that is actually making syrup on the eveporator. Most folks take it to about 30 % brix & pull it off the evaporator at that time.
Our season is just about to start, here in western canada. I'll put in a few test taps this weekend in anticipation of some warmer temperatures ( > 15 deg C when the 1st butterfiles come out)
Birch is approx 100 to 1 ratio although that can change from tree to tree & different areas. It varies from 80 to 1 up to 140 to 1 in other places.
We recommend not tapping anty trees < 8 " diameter and no more than 1 tap /tree as birch are much shorter lived than maple

[yarg]

Would a steam kettle work well?

[KenWP]

Our yellow birchs just started to run yesterday. Tastes like water to me.

[BC Birch Tapper]

Put a hydrometer on it ken, it should be somewhere around 5 % but that will vary with the tree & site conditions
Birch has more micronutients than maple which is why it has been used in Europe Russia & Scandinavia for a health drink. There's thoughts it can assist with uninary tract infections & other ailements.
We use it you syrup & wine.
They do sell a sap drink as well out of Europe I believe.

[Specklefield Farm]

We put out 12 buckets just to try and make enough to be able to try it. Wound up burning the syrup pan on the evaporator! Finished off about 1 pint, tasted it, and decided to stick with the maple. Tasted like molases to me with a syrup consistancy. The sheep love it though!:)

[KenWP]

I am basically going to mix some maple with the birch when I boil and see what happens. I don't really have the patience to boil that much sap that slow. I figure if all else we can cook with it.

[BC Birch Tapper]

From all the producers we've talked to none are making syrup on the evaporator. Everyone gets it part way through and finish it on the kitchen stove or finishig stove where things are more controlled.
The evaporator is just to variable in temperature.

[KenWP]

Well trying to boil down this birch sap today. Boiled off for 7 hours and the stuff is just getting sweet enough to taste. Its at about 8% sugar now. Wasn't going to bother untill my one tree gave me a 5 gallon bucket of sap today and hate to waste 40 gallons of the stuff. It makes a really nice color when you boil it. Almost a red color. Will be done with it tomorrow morning and can store it untill I have time to work with it more.

[bpmorris]

I tapped a few yellow birch a week ago to try to make some birch syrup I always wanted to try it but never had the time. It turned out pretty good for my first attempt at it. My wife loved the flavor ( caramel sweet flavor ) I thought it was Ok but I prefer my maple syrup!!! I have alot of birches on my property so if I ever get an RO machine I think it has some good possibilities in the future.

[BC Birch Tapper]

That's great that you tried making birch syrup. Yes an RO for birch is a great idea no question. Any time you can remove water from birch & not heat it will result in a lighter syrup.
Some of the larger producers in Alaska are using RO
I'm from Eastern Canada & I had maple syrup on my pancakes this morning, birch I use in sauces & marinades. Chef's love the stuff, it's even classed a "Slow Food"
:cool:

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay so for a guy he has been waiting for sap and bored looking at an empty evaporator, how about some more tips on this birch tapping? I have a creek that runs through my land and it is called Birch creek for a reason. So having these trees is their a specific birch to tap or is any birch okay? Also do you use the same hydrometer and brix reading to finish the birch syrup? Is there any other specific tips I should know before I think about tapping?

[KenWP]

You can use yellow,paper and sweet or black birch. They all work. Same 66 brix and such as maple. It will be as dark as Haynes heart when it's done. It's 160 to 180 to 1 to make sryup but the trees give a lot.

[3rdgen.maple]

Thanks Ken. Is there a specific weather patter in relation to sap flows?

[BC Birch Tapper]

Check out the Canadian Birch syrup Producers Association on Facebook
We've also got a Birch Syrup Production Manual that we sell, the only one in Print. Check out the Classifieds on this site.
We're waiting for the sap to flow here as well. Looks like we'll be tapping tomorrow.
Signs include when you see the 1st butterflies. For us it's when the surrounding creeks start to rise.
Tap a few test trees, when you're getting 2-3 litres out of the test trees tap everything else.
You tap them the same as maple and collect every day & evaporate.
You won't be able to mape pure birch syrup on an evaporator. Birch is fructose & glucose, with a lower boiling temp than the sucrose in maple. As such you need to keep the temp < 100 deg C.

[3rdgen.maple]

Well as I pulled taps today on the maples I drilled and tapped 54 yellow birch trees at noon. I have never seen trees run like that in my life. It was not a drip more like a drizzle. 5 hours later I had buckets over flowing. Is this the norm or was it just a banner day. If my maples ran like that I would be on top of the world. After reading some old post I figured I would have to finish it on the propane finisher. So pretty much get it to 30 brix and transfer it over. Is there an actuall grading procedure or what you get is what you get. Thanks for the replies. Cant wait to see what it taste like.

[KenWP]

Yes thats normal for them to run like that. I have one paper birch that last spring gave me easy 5 gallons a day and probbably more but it kept running over on me before I could get back to it. I just make black syrup and I also made it with maple last year to getthe brix up faster. Makes a dark syrup tastes like toffee. Pancakes didn't complain to much.

[3rdgen.maple]

Hmmm sounds like a bbq ingredient. Right now i just wanna make syrup lol.

[BC Birch Tapper]

I had maple syrup on my pancakes this morning. I'm from the east coast and there's nothing like it.
On the weekend though, we had baked salmon with a birch syrup glaze. We also had a birch syrup cheezecake......ooohhwwweee, that was good.
Birch is more prone to cooking applications. Chefs like it due to it's bold flavours. :cool:
Typically you'll get 4 litres ( 1 gallon) of sap /tree/day over the season as an average. Recognize that at the peak of the flow and with good producing trees you'll get much more.