Birch Water. A Gift From Nature- How To Tutorial!
Have you ever heard of Birch Water? It is also known as Birch Sap. The first I ever heard of it was just last year when shown how to collect it. We actually did a different technique than what I did just now, but its not possible to do that with the trees we have here. There are actually just 2 silver birch trees on this piece of land but they are big ones at least. Its nice to be able to walk in the forest without falling into snow pockets on the ground! Enjoy some pictures of the piece of land and cabin that we occupy. I shall also do a "Tour of the outside" when the snows gone and we have tided up - something im not looking forward too!
The way I learnt last year is to take small plastic bottle and to find thin branches on the tree and have with you a sharp knife and some rubber bands or string. You cut about a quarter of the way from the tip of the branch but not a straight cut, the idea is to expose as much of the flesh of the branch as you can by slicing diagonally sideways and creating a point with say 3 inches of exposed flesh of the branch. We left the bottles up tied onto the branch with the tip hanging into the bottle, and the next day they were all pritty much full. This technique is much more friendly to the tree than the method I just tried here now.
This other method is for getting more quantities of the birch sap BUT if its not done properly it can harm the tree.
The Drill Method
For this you will need the following:
- A container to catch the water
- A drill
- A piece of pipe
It dosnt matter what drill you have, the important thing is that the drill bit is the same size as the pipe you are going to be using. I was lucky as I dont have many drill bits, to find the tube from a solar shower fits the bit I have perfectly as seen here
This is the setup and as the tube will fit the whole perfectly, theres no need to do anything else
With everything ready it was time to start drilling, its good to mark the drill bit with tape at the required depth, but I could not be bothered to.
It started to drip (look closely on bottom right pic) but then stopped, leaving me to believe that Ive left it too late already, or because the tree is up growing on rocks that theres not much water to draw from the ground. Plus this one has an very thick crusty bark and properly should be drilled deeper, something Im not willing to do.
This is the important part. Tomorrow I must go find a small pot of pine tar. I want to own some anyway, and of course I can get this from the nature but its not possible at the moment so to keep the tree as I found it, I will go buy some of this tar to fill the whole that I made with the drill. If you use a bigger drill bit then you would have to but a wooden dowl in the whole (a round piece of wood to plug it) followed by a layer of natural tar completely sealing it off so it wont get any fungus infections in the future. Respect the nature!
We went to the other tree , but this one had been topped by a tree surgeon friend who came before winter and offered to top the trees so we will get more sunlight on the land. It was dripping more though than the other one did and so its now hopefully filling up the water container in place. This one had to be tied on with rope to secure it
I just went to check the progress and took more photos.
I took the tube out to check it and as I thought, the hole was slightly blocked with wet sawdust from the drilling and so I scrapped it out with a twig and plug the tube back in, which made it flow alot faster! In the bottom photo you actually can see the stream in the tube.
I got to go to work now 'cos Crypto dosnt grow on trees!
Catch up again tomorrow when I review on the progress in part 2. Oh and do a tree repair if I find where to get tar from!
Heres my last post which teaches how and why to be making An Organic Fertilizer from just Stinging Nettles.
Have a great Sunday and take a walk in a forest without your smartphone.. when was the last time that you did that ?!!!
if anyone has suggestions for better tags to be edited, then please suggest im open eyes!
What did it taste like?
Its like water, but its slightly thick, with a silky kind of feel in the mouth I was pleasently surprised when I first tried it. Following you for nice photos :P
Great post :) i first learned how to tap birch trees with my granddad 40 years ago - then tried it again some 20 years ago after watching Ray Mears on T.V - Cant do it now, there are no silver Birch trees here in South Australia.
Hi bivvy 😀 thanks,glad you enjoyed it and the memorys it must have replayed for you! We have lots across the road and on the nieghbours land but not many here because its all mountain bedrock 😂 but atleast we have them obviously in the country. Have a great day man, nice to hear from ya
I love this tag #steemingroundthemountain 😊
Want to do this for the "water" for beer!
hey I see you like bees, I have bees living since some years I guess in the cabin that I occupy, i thought to smoke them out so I can repair the holes they made lol. Whats the best material to use to smoke bees out without harming them? I did plan to hang a new home for them out in the nearest tree and up high in hope they would relocate there and I could "keep" them.
You will not be able to smoke them out. You have to open the wall and remove the comb and bees. A big job. The odds are low that they would nest again close. Smoking simulates a forest fire. If they do decide to leave from smoking they will likely get as far away as they can. The brood and bees left behind will raise a new queen. And you start all over again. To save the bees you have to remove them. Not an impossible job but one with a lot of work and tricks involved. Like getting their comb into frames. There are many strategies to consider based on experience, available equipment cost etc. I have done this on many occasions over the years. I suggest you find an experienced beekeeper that can help you with the process and aid you in the long learning curve to looking after them. My https://beemaster.ca site and @beemasterca are dedicated to helping beekeepers becomeing beekeepers.
Will they get bigger and bigger over time? thus taking more wall away? I dont mind if they stay there its just maybe they will take more wall away then I must to something as its on a cliff edge lol
Is this a frame constructed building? You should deal with them as you can't see the brood it is a disease risk to other beekeepers in your area.
Can you post a picture?
Timber frame yes, its hard to get to where they are to take a pic!
And the space between the bents? 2x4 2x6 stud spacing. I am trying get a picture of what the nest may look like in the wall.
You don't explain why? Are there any health benefits from the sap?
Hi Terry, well the point is just to be able to get drinking water from a tree I guess. I havent researched on any health benifits on it actually and I shall before I do anothe rpost more about it as I learnt that Im actually early at the moment. The water is very clean to drink as its been filtered through the roots etc, and I didnt know that it came out still when it wasnt the right time to get the sweet one, i just thought no water came out.. So soon ill get to do another post when its the right time, more containers and hoses. Maybe ill make some wine from it!
I have seen birch syrup for sale a greenhouse one time. It was crazy expensive but I think you need a lot more sap to start with then for maple syrup. I have also heard that there is supposed to be some health benefits to birch water.
Yeh its expensive! I would do a post today but its my day off, i go to the sauna! Varnished a huge wooden boat yesterday and day before and now im just aching because of becoming lazy the last year lol.
All I know without very easily checking online about the health part, is that the "special" time to collect it has the sugars that the tree absorbs up from the ground which go into the sprouts. Im sure you can make a tea from birch leaves also, but i might be wrong.. pritty sure ive drank some though, or im mixing something else up! Ive seen some of your posts i think and if im not already following i will do so.. Great day/night to you!
Wow!.. This is interesting
Yeh man it is! Are you in Africa?
Yes and u?
In tubab land, Norway for now. And you,what country?
Nigeria boss... It's nice meeting u
No boss - equal humans! Nice meeting you too
This great nature, I appreciate your post
Water that comes out of that tree ,, can be drunk ,,?
Yes and its sweet!
What tree is that ,,?
a silver birch, only found in europe and northern europe i believe, and its only sweet water for 10 days or so in the year. Your in asia? This is like a poor substitute for a coconut haha
Yes in southeast asia ,, in aceh, indonesia. Usually we are here to pick up rubber latex on a rather similar tree like that.
Nice, I was only ever in Thailand (typical!)I know of the rubber plant that has the white rubber come out when you cut the wood? With this tree also you can get tar from it, and use it for many things for fire, by cooking the skin and it drips out. People used that tar substance to use for arrows for example as a glue covering the string holding the tip into the arrow, or also as a great mosquito repellent which you like im sure!
I have been with people who make it in huge pots on bug fires outside. Im sure there are many other uses for this tree that I dont know of also. The skin is very good for starting a fire with becuase of the tar inside.
It is true that rubber sap is white.
We do not cut trees here, but we sculpt the trees to get the sap, in our trees we usually carve about 10 to 15 holes, then rubber latex, we sell. rubber trees become one source of our life..
Yes I have seen a small rubber plant when I was young and got told off because I cut it to see if rubber came out and it did lol
Interesting. What will you do with the sap?
You must know this trick @mountianjewel? probably will just enjoyit for a morning drink :) Apparently you can make wine from it, so also must be able to make vinegar if the flys get in the wine! Any posts on them free greenhouses that I remember (i think it was you) said about in USA? Maybe I have my wires crossed with people lol
Fantastic! Yes know the trick just not with birch! Greenhouse should arrive in next few weeks!! Let the building begin!
Nice! I will also be making a green house soon :) some cowboy construction of course! Yes we started it and I thought I was too late, but got told some hours ago that im too early! (it tastes like normal mountain well water) but great to know we are early! Awaiting the build posts :)
what other trees can you do it with? It turns out I did it early hahahahah take two soon then! We will most likely go for a walk and setup alot.