# Tap for sap



## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

This is a old thread I thought I had it here but nope it wasn't. So today is your lucky day.

Anybody here make there own syrup?

I don't have any maples but I do have birch. Not sure if we are going to tap this year or not yet. Its a long couple of weeks. It was a boiling nightmare but fun at the same time. I had to boil every nite after work for a little over 2 weeks. It took its toll on me towards the end but If you have never had birch syrup your in for a treat. The stuff is crazy expensive almost $300.00 per gallon last time I checked.

Like I said I'm not sure I'm up to the work this year as I have had terrible back issues since last august so we haven't decided yet. But I may dig out the pictures from 2 years ago to give you a look see.

I think its 40 gallons of maple sap to yield a gallon. And 100 gallons of birch sap to yield a gallon so you can see why both the maple and the birch syrup are so expensive.

I was a complete rookie when we did this. In fact I thought we had missed the sap run and then...... all hell broke loose. I was getting about 5 gallons+ a day from 2 taps on one birch tree. If I would have had tons of refrigerated storage space it would have been easier because you can collect the sap and then refrigerate for 7 days before the sap clouds and goes bad. That would have allowed me to boil more on the weekends. 
Speaking of cloudy sap that's when you know the run is over the sap collected at the end of the run will be cloudy.... all done throw it away and wait till next year.
I forgot exactly how much finished product we got but we boiled a couple hundred gallons during that run of about 2 1/2 weeks or so.

Birch syrup is unique if you were to throw some on a stack of pancakes your palette will be surprised! Its sort of tart compared to maple which is what you mind is telling your tongue to expect on the first bite of Pancakes. I mostly used it on biscuits and in my tea and coffee. *But the ultimate use for it is on some good quality vanilla Ice cream oh man To die for. Holy moley I was in hawg crap heaven. *

Oh yeah one important note-

Do NOT boil in the house...... Don't ask me how I know LOL

I'll give you a hint though.......

Sticky walls and ceiling Duh! dumb ass!


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

First one is a pic of the tree friendly small spile. They are supposedly easier on the tree. I don't remember for certain but I think the drill size is 5/16 basically Drill the hole in the tree and insert the spile by tapping it in with a rubber mallet. Drill about 1"deep hole in the birch tree about waist high or so and drill at a slightly upward angle. I tapped on the south and west side of the tree. My birch is a huge mature tree so it will support 3 taps maximum. We started with 3 taps ended up using just 2 taps.



We started with these disposable collection bags because it seemed easy no washing toss them when done I think they held about 4 or 5 gallons.
they hang right on the spile. The blue hose you see is from a second tap we had going into the same bag which worked ok until the sap flow went absolutely crazy.



Flow starting to pick up speed.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Flow started picking up so fast after a few days the one bag was not enough it would be overflowing by 3pm when I got home from work. The bags were also hard to handle when full so we went to this method of collection. That's a 5 gallon Culligan Jug on the right. That should do it right ? Nope



We ended up using two 5 gallon jugs. They would be about 1/2 to 3/4 full by the time I got home every day for a couple weeks. The black strap is so the wind didn't blow the jugs over when empty.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

So every night Id have to boil and boil and boil and boil and boil get the drift !



It had to be boiled down to this.



And then down to this. You can see its getting thicker and there is less steam and the boil looks different. Its getting close.



But now you have to watch it very close so you don't burn it. And when it starts to get thick then your done and you get this-



If you have birch. And nothing to do this stuff is liquid gold. It was selling for over 300.00 per gallon if I remember correctly.

Wish I wouldn't have cut down the two maples trees I had 25 years ago :crazy: And worse yet When I had 25 acres in the tip of the mitt I had about 12 acres of white birch. I could have retired on those birch trees.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Crazy question.
I always thought of it as a northern thing. Figure temps have something to do with it.
Can folks in the deep south also do this?


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Denton said:


> Crazy question.
> I always thought of it as a northern thing. Figure temps have something to do with it.
> Can folks in the deep south also do this?


Correct temps are everything for the sap run.

It must be cold in the low 30's at nite then warm up to the 50/60's during the day. I always tap the south and west side of the tree as its the warmest side of the tree during the day.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

hawgrider said:


> Correct temps are everything for the sap run.
> 
> It must be cold in the 30's to 40's or so at nite then warm up to the 50/60's during the day. I always tap the south and west side of the tree as its the warmest side of the tree during the day.


We get those temps from time to time. Will try this next year and see how it goes.
As always, thanks for sharing your knowledge. You have a lot of it.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Denton said:


> We get those temps from time to time. Will try this next year and see how it goes.
> As always, thanks for sharing your knowledge. You have a lot of it.


Yeah I have a few tricks up my sleeve when I'm not being a smart ass. Being a smart ass is more fun though.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

hawgrider said:


> Being a smart ass is more fun though.


Don't ever change :tango_face_grin:


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Too much work for me. I'll stick with honey & let the bees do all the work.


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

Hawgrider thanks for sharing your experience with us. It is neat to get on the forum and see what different people do for preps. Makes me wish I had some trees like that. I do have a few maples but I dont know if they are the right kind for syrup.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Interesting Hawg, everyone knows about maple but I would never have thought about Birch. A lot of work but a nice payoff. No way that works this far south in Houston.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I don't think my maypiles will mature enough before I'm gone to do the syrup thing,


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

AquaHull said:


> I don't think my maypiles will mature enough before I'm gone to do the syrup thing,


Whats the diameter of your maples?

A 10" diameter maple tree will support one tap.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Joe said:


> Hawgrider thanks for sharing your experience with us. It is neat to get on the forum and see what different people do for preps. Makes me wish I had some trees like that. I do have a few maples but I dont know if they are the right kind for syrup.


Sugar maple trees have the highest concentration of sugar but any maple can be tapped. Many other trees can be tapped also.

Keep in mind you can tap many trees during sap runs as a water source if survival needs arise.


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

Hawgrider thanks for the info I had never heard of using a tree for a water source.


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

My son and his neighbors tap, they usually end up with between five and ten gallons every year, depending on weather and how good of a sap run they get, tasty treat....


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

The only maples around here are swamp maples. But sugar cane is grown, and cane syrup is done in the fall.
The cane is cut, and then run thru a mule or horse powered mill that squeezes the sap out.
Then it is boiled down in a large cast iron cauldron. Starts as a thin clear liquid and boils down to a thick dark brown.
Excellent on biscuits.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Awesome, Hawg!


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Joe said:


> Hawgrider thanks for the info I had never heard of using a tree for a water source.


if your in the woods during the run fill a canteen. Some will drink it right from the tree using a knife as a spile. Its probably best though to fill a canteen then boil for ten minutes just to be sure. If boiling to sanitize is not possible its better and cleaner than water from a lake or river.

Edited to add- Some trees you shouldn't tap for syrup or for a water source. Do a little research on what trees are not suitable for tapping. Seems like pine is one? If I find the list I'll put up the link here.

Here is a link of some that you can tap.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/wildfo...-sap-and-syrup/amp/?client=ms-android-verizon


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

hawgrider said:


> if your in the woods during the run fill a canteen. Some will drink it right from the tree using a knife as a spile. Its probably best though to fill a canteen then boil for ten minutes just to be sure. If boiling to sanitize is not possible its better and cleaner than water from a lake or river.


 Hawgrider Thanks man.:vs_closedeyes:


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## TomFR (Mar 26, 2017)

I never even knew you could make birch syrup. How does it taste compared to maple?


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

TomFR said:


> I never even knew you could make birch syrup. How does it taste compared to maple?


It has a molasses type taste with a tart kicker.


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