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Thread: Birch syrup! Breaking rules but...

  1. #41
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2

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    Do you think that making a concrete slab to set under the pan in place of the fire brick would work? I'm just thinking that it could be custom sized and one piece instead of many bricks.

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Two Harbors, Minnesota
    Posts
    134

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    I made an aerator for the pan to make birch syrup this year.
    I am still in maple syrup season and will try it out on 40 gallons of maple sap tomorrow.
    I made these with BBQ grill burners and bath safety handles. Both made from stainless steel.
    Aerator.jpg
    Aerator1.jpg
    Last edited by billschi; 04-12-2019 at 09:26 PM.
    2016- 32 taps, 3 1/2 gallons
    2017- 150 taps, 13 gallons after building an evaporator
    2018- goal is 240+ taps. 20+ gallons.
    2018 Reality- 235 taps, 5 gallons of syrup. Average 50 birch taps and 3 gallons of syrup.
    2019- 180 maple taps, 20 gallons of finished syrup.
    ~ 160 birch taps, 13 finished gallons of syrup.

    Latitude 47.278150

    www.facebook.com/livingoffmyland2015

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Two Harbors, Minnesota
    Posts
    134

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    Here's a video of the aerator in action.
    https://youtu.be/wAHlbYT4oxM
    2016- 32 taps, 3 1/2 gallons
    2017- 150 taps, 13 gallons after building an evaporator
    2018- goal is 240+ taps. 20+ gallons.
    2018 Reality- 235 taps, 5 gallons of syrup. Average 50 birch taps and 3 gallons of syrup.
    2019- 180 maple taps, 20 gallons of finished syrup.
    ~ 160 birch taps, 13 finished gallons of syrup.

    Latitude 47.278150

    www.facebook.com/livingoffmyland2015

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Two Harbors, Minnesota
    Posts
    134

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    We made about 15 gallons of birch syrup. We sold our 8oz bottles for $20 at farmers markets. All sold out. Our very first market I had a guy beeline to our table while we were setting up before the market started. He bought 4 bottles. He said he wanted to get some before we ran out. It was an amazing year. This year we also made a pancake version by mixing it with maple syrup. It also sold very well. We will be stepping up production next year. If you make it correctly, people go crazy for it. I usually get people coming back to the market in following weeks just to let us know how they used it.
    Has anyone else made birch syrup this year?
    Last edited by billschi; 08-26-2019 at 11:33 PM.
    2016- 32 taps, 3 1/2 gallons
    2017- 150 taps, 13 gallons after building an evaporator
    2018- goal is 240+ taps. 20+ gallons.
    2018 Reality- 235 taps, 5 gallons of syrup. Average 50 birch taps and 3 gallons of syrup.
    2019- 180 maple taps, 20 gallons of finished syrup.
    ~ 160 birch taps, 13 finished gallons of syrup.

    Latitude 47.278150

    www.facebook.com/livingoffmyland2015

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Northeast section of Northwest kingdom Vermont
    Posts
    84

    Default

    Mr. Bill,
    Thanx for the motivation and congratulations of your sales and experimentation of the good stuff that is Birch syrup! I made a couple of pints last year for my first time and after reading a lot on here about the trial and error I found a great tasting product by slowly boiling the concentrate after I had boiled 90% of it at a fast boil. Friends and family were intrigued for sure. I also had good luck boiling some maple and birch sap together when they were both running in early April. This year I upped my system from turkey fryer to a sugar house and a 2x4.5 Mason evaporator. I can't wait to see how it all works especially since the season lasted a good few weeks after the Maple was done. Do you folks use plastic to collect the sap? Do you consume much of it your self?

  6. #46
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Northeast section of Northwest kingdom Vermont
    Posts
    84

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    I tapped 20 birch trees on Saturday, anyone else?

  7. #47
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Lancaster, NH
    Posts
    26

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shirefisher View Post
    I tapped 20 birch trees on Saturday, anyone else?
    I don't think I could take doing back to back seasons...Need a break for some sleep and then cleaning and start cutting and splitting wood

  8. #48
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Crivitz, WI
    Posts
    88

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    I tapped one birch on the 26th, watching it, will tap another 15 to 20 this year.

    Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk
    2013 15 Homemade Taps, Milk Jugs, Turkey Fryer, 3 Gallons Syrup
    2014 Finishing my college degree, looked longingly at the Maples all spring
    2015 26 1/2 Real taps, Milk Jugs, Homemade 20x25 pan on propane, 5+ Gallons Syrup
    2016 50 Taps, Milk Jugs, Homemade 25x48 pan on propane block arch, 8 1/2 Gallons Syrup
    2020 80 Taps, Milk Jugs, 25x48 pan on propane block arch w/preheater, 10 gallons syrup

  9. #49
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Northeast section of Northwest kingdom Vermont
    Posts
    84

    Default

    Last year i boiled one small batch- abount 1 pints worth ( on a turkey fryer) of maple and birch together The syrup had a great flavor. I may try this same thing tomorrow as I might have about 20 gallons each of birch and maple sap... And that will most likely be my last maple run and clean the pans and hope for some pure birch syrup to be made the next couple of weeks. What do y'all think?

  10. #50
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Crivitz, WI
    Posts
    88

    Default

    My test birch started running, a little, yesterday. Is there a minimum tree size to tap? Any other guidance?
    I'm currently not sure if I can boil full bore for most of the boil, or simmer the whole time?

    Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk
    2013 15 Homemade Taps, Milk Jugs, Turkey Fryer, 3 Gallons Syrup
    2014 Finishing my college degree, looked longingly at the Maples all spring
    2015 26 1/2 Real taps, Milk Jugs, Homemade 20x25 pan on propane, 5+ Gallons Syrup
    2016 50 Taps, Milk Jugs, Homemade 25x48 pan on propane block arch, 8 1/2 Gallons Syrup
    2020 80 Taps, Milk Jugs, 25x48 pan on propane block arch w/preheater, 10 gallons syrup

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