I see a lot of people telling this guy to hurry up and get to the point hes actually saying a lot of informational things..If you think he is too slow then you should just go elsewhere on the internet to look to tapping instructions What this guy is doing is awesome.
Beautiful, you managed to convey the idea of treating our tree brothers well, we need to treat all of nature in such a fashion because if it dies, we are surely to follow. Im subscribing.☺🎆🎇
I find it odd that you titled the video tapping a birch and you didn't even show the drilling process. You sat there and talked about how drilling it isn't going to harm the tree and then just skipped that whole part of the video. I would recommend doing some jump cuts in the future and taking out the parts where you repeat yourself. Also I would make sure that every single step involved in the process is recorded and included.
+Zack8133 True but there are many many ways to tap the tree so I felt it wasn't exactly necessary. Depends on what people and culture are doing the tapping. I also find that there is no 'best' way. I appreciate the input. Editing is an ongoing learning process and I just do this stuff for fun.
I really dont see why so many thumbs down and negative comments. If people want straight facts just google it and find the shortest possible article you can find. These kind of videos are my favorite since i can just wind down and relax so i appreciate the length, if i had any critique it would be that the music is too loud but then again maybe thats just my headphones.
only because of the title. the title didn't say, "how to tap a tree and my personal thoughts on the subject. he rambled for 9 fucking minutes about nonsense. repeating himself redundant. not only did he ramble for half of the video, he did NOT drill the hole on camera OR seal the hole. Its a poor production.
Lovely video. I like your style of delivery very much. It is "slow", but that's obviously only because you are in the moment and aren't worried about simply giving information. It's an aesthetic experience and I hope you don't worry about people saying you should get to the point... why should you. Rather, people should learn how to relax.
+Gwynne Gibbons thanks for saying so. Yes it has been entertaining seeing the types of negative comments this video has attracted over the past couple of years. I don't speak in front of cameras often and I do have a problem rambling, but oh well. Im a real person and I don't believe in scripting things really. This isn't my profession and thought I could share a little bit of my knowledge in the subject. I like to think of this more as a casual demonstration, something you'd show friends in person. No reason to go back, re-edit, spend hours perfecting something since its not a tv show :) Cheers, and happy new year -Alex
It's funny how society has taught people to get information as quickly and accurately as possible - not so much to enjoy the information and the experience the information is found within. Look forward to watching more of your videos soon. Thanks - and happy new year to you too. Ellie
I usually just take a hand auger with me, but I will sometimes take a power drill with me if Im in a rush. There are lots of ways to do this. I have also just poked a small hole with my knife which is an old pioneer method. Make an incision and then place a small stick inside to lead the drops into your can.
Bit and Brace is the best tool to use with a slight upward angle, drill in about an 1"" don't forget to plug it when your done, best time to do this is the last 2 weeks of February,/ first 2 weeks March.no later than that.
Adirondack Woodsman gonna have to wait on the wine. I had 14 gallons of wine brewing but thats all toast now. Hope to start collecting in a couple weeks for a fresh batch. Should be ready by this summer for us to sip on brother!
Really loved this video, mate. Very instructive and very soothing. I could almost smell the forest and I loved the guitar. We need more of this kind of thing in our lives. Thanks :)
A lot of haters on here, but I found this to be extremely useful, especially the details on how to make the spile. I'm too far south to find many birches (though I see a lone one in the woods on the high altitude hilltops sometimes), but this kind of spile would also work for maple I'm betting and I have a ton of those. I've tapped a maple before (but without a good spile, just cutting a branch and hanging a can under the cut branch) and it was pretty cool. Free clean water and energy (sugar) from a common tree.
hey thanks for saying so. It's a shame that youtube has become infested with such low IQ. Just wanted to post a film to friends who asked me to show them how I tap a tree. Millions of ways, probably better ones but this is what I do. Cheers!
+Creative Inspirations well I explained there are many methods of doing this. One could use a hand auger, or power drill. Really I didn't think it was a priority since it's as simple as lifting a little bit of bark.
+Creative Inspirations He said he was going to auger it. So he clearly drilled it - with an auger. Using a hand drill. I thought that bit was pretty obvious.
+Tim Birch There was a power drill in the background, I thought that was pretty obvious. You could technically state that is a hand drill but it'd be semantics :P
Three observations: 1. a good technique for easterners who live where a lot of rain falls, not so much for the more arid west side of the CONUS. 2. How about cutting a larger hole in that plastic coffer can top and putting coarse fillter paper underneath, cut large enough to seal tight under the outer side of said top as it snaps back onto can, to keep the bugs out. 3. How did you seal the hole left in the tree after you were done?
Thanks for the tips. I'm in no way a pro at this, I just tap them to make small batches of wine and everytime I do this, the process gets more refined.
I guess it really depends on the device u r watching this video on… The video was done well and audio/music/weather were not a problem with each other. As Alex mentions rough but tips and ideas for us viewers. I personally use bags/tops/spiels from my local hardware, which helps ME to avoid issues with bugs and weather. Still a few mosquitoes and once in a while a spider or two. I live in Northwest woods of WI. I am interested in the wine/tonic recipe. Happy Tapping
Hey thanks for the awesome video ! I appreciate all the knowledge. I live in Westchester county NY about 30 min south of Fishkill. I have 3 questions for you. 1. What time should I tap a birch tree? 2. How do you personally fill the hole cleanly after you are done? 3 Please tell me you sell a CD of your tunes ! They are awesome. I am in such a great mood after listening to it. Alright dude take care. -Peace
Hey, I had a good idea as I was watching this video. You could possibly make a tutorial on how to make the Birch Sap Wine, it would be an interesting video to watch.
I noticed that the tree looks wet running down the tap or the tree. Is that sap or rain water running down the tree? Does your tap leak sap underneath it? Thanks for sharing!
Hey Alexander. Two questions. Your video work is great. What camera/lens do you use? Secondly, could a person just use a spile like you would on a maple tree?
+Chad Valiquette Yes you could use a metal spile but I am a carver so naturally I just make them. Quicker than driving to the store for me :) Its a Nikon dslr and the lens is 24-70
Hey thanks for the awesome video ! I appreciate all the knowledge. I live in Westchester county NY about 30 min south of Fishkill. I have 3 questions for you. 1. What time should I tap a birch tree? 2. How do you personally fill the hole cleanly after you are done? 3 Please tell me you sell a CD of your tunes ! They are awesome. I am in such a great mood after listening to it. Alright dude take care. ✌😊✝❤
Hi there, I grew up a half hour east of fishkill. In Wingdale where I filmed this 1. There is no set date. It's usually march whenever the nights are cold and the days are warm. This creates a pumping action. 2. there are different methods all which seem to start arguments on the internet but the trees will close themselves. I talk about this in the vid a bit. 3. Thank you!! I don't sell my music actually, I'm not sure why. I just record low key, nothing is professionally recorded. But I get a lot of interest in this so I have been thinking more and more, maybe I'll start a patreon page where people can pay a couple bucks and I just upload albums there. I just didn't want to deal with investing in printing cd's and all that stuff! I don't make much money as it is being a carver but these comments fuel my fire so thank you!! What do you suggest is a good idea? I'm open to ideas about the music thing as I record everyday but rarely share it. Cheers! -Alex
I loved your video and love your ethos. Is it ok if I add you to my "featured channels" on my page?!? Also how much would you charge for your tracks, and would I be able to use them in my own videos?!?
Hey thank you, thats very kind. You can add me to your channels, that will be pretty cool. As for tracks Im sad to say we just had a devastating house fire and lost just about everything. So my entire harddrive archives of film and music were lost so I must start over fresh. I haven't thought much about licensing music but Id love to...just have to figure out a price. Email me please so we can keep in touch. Alex@alexanderyerks.com
Hi I didn't read through all the comments to see if this had been covered, but you have to check up on your tree knowledge. The only living part of a tree is in the three outermost layers of the bark. Like 1/8" of bark. The "heart of the tree" is only dead wood. nothing to kill. Otherwise, pretty interesting video.
+David Leland thanks for the info. Im not in front of a camera very often and just do this for fun. So when put on the spot, sometimes funny things come out that weren't planned. But you are totally correct. Cheers
Nice video, I would recommend not filling the holes of the tree though as you trap moisture and are encouraging decay, no amount of cleaning is going to remove microbes or fungi from it. The trick with these is actually just getting it as dry as possible and letting natural tree function occlude the hole (eventually).
Hey thanks for the kind words and advice. I appreciate learning more as I'm not expert just having fun. This is a 7 year old video so much has changed how I go about this as I've learned from others during my travels. Thank you again, it's nice to share these things with the world.
i had few dozen trees taped,, lots o sugar maple like you said,, i used it for nutrition., was poor and did a lot of subsistence living native born native yankee, birch is living
Hey Alexander, great video, i like it a lot. P.S. Why don't u use a piece of cloth to keep out the bugs? With a string u can keep the cloth in place and put the plastic lid on the tap to keep out the rain etc....
Thanks, that is a good idea. There are many. This was just my quick way of doing it.. I strain off the sap as I collect it so its not too big of a deal I guess. Cheesecloth would be great!
Seems that gravity would allow most of the rain into the can no matter how small the hole was, or run off both water and sap. Why not cover the can with a bit of canvas?
+pop9095 yeah that's what I was thinking as well. The whole will still protect from some rain, but I don't know how much (maybe 40-90%, strongly depending on the location of the hole and angle of the lid)
MsHojat Angling the lid just means a mixture of rain and sap will be dripping off, not really helping the dilution problem, just losing more product. Still seems like making some sort of "hat" for lack of a better word to sit on top of the tapping instrument and over the can solves the rain problem.
Drinking too much birch sap can cause a nasty diarrhea because of the xylitol present, so I wouldn't rely on it in a survival situation. It is really tasty though, so if your life isn't depending on it, go for a taste. It can also be made into a tasty mead-like alcoholic drink. Cool to see you use a Joonas Kallioniemi puukko, greetings from Finland!
+Finn Does Outdoors Hey I actually do. Nothing special just some random off the cuff field recordings. Seems to drive some folks nuts, since it's not polished studio material, but Im not trying to make it something it's not. Just random stuff :)
I actually save the spiles and I just carve a little cork and tap it in. Sometimes I wax them over. This ensures that you won't risk the tree catching something and getting sick.
Awesome video brethren! I'm a big fan of Birch Beer, and one of my brewing buddies makes some occasionally, but using storebought ingredients. I'm not real big on storebought concentrates, so I haven't tried to brew my own as of yet, but this might be a good option for experimentation!
Hi! Thats a very nice knife! Did you get it from britishblades forum or where, if you don't mind me asking? Those are really hard to come by even here in Finland. Greetings!
hey thanks. I wish I could re-edit everything but I lost all my stuff in a housefire two years ago. I thought of pulling the video but decided I might as well leave it up for folks to try
Great video bro. What part of NY was this filmed? Although I don't wholly agree with the digital courage folks about you talking too much, I do think the video could have been shortened to ten minutes unless you were describing different techniques. The music was relaxing and I enjoyed the scenery. Great video quality to. Good job!
Hey thanks. Ya it's on going learning. I don't do this for money, just for fun. I've gotten so many requests to show it so I whipped something up. It's a bit long winded but I can't go back to reedit because I lost the footage in a fire
I would recommend adjusting the background audio for your videos to be softer than your voice. Although I could make out what you were saying, there were times it was made difficult by the guitar playing you used.
Could use cheesecloth to prevent insects from getting into the sap. Maybe a hole in the lid as you show over the cheesecloth. Just a thought. Straining insects does not appeal to me. LOL.
Id love to see a hiptser do anything other than shopping and having their nails done. You won't catch them out in the woods because it's not in Williamsburg.
While I appreciate what you're doing here, it can kill the tree if not plugged. Woodpecker rings can cut off circulation and kill trees, and the holes they leave can let bacteria and parasites in. Leaving a taphole in a tree leaves it at risk for the latter, esp with the size and depth of the hole.
he said he visits them every year so he probably applies a bung to the wound like a cork in the hole he made to stop it from leaking further then the year later when you visit the tree it should have healed
I see a lot of people telling this guy to hurry up and get to the point hes actually saying a lot of informational things..If you think he is too slow then you should just go elsewhere on the internet to look to tapping instructions
What this guy is doing is awesome.
+peacefulyetviolent Right on! Thanks!
For sure. Knowledge takes time!
Yeah its informative but it could be just as informative and half as long easily.
i agree with the information. iskipped some parts but some people are so lazy and used to these fast paced hyper edited videos now adays
Beautiful, you managed to convey the idea of treating our tree brothers well, we need to treat all of nature in such a fashion because if it dies, we are surely to follow. Im subscribing.☺🎆🎇
Hey thanks!
don't worry my hippy friend, they're be longer trees than humans
I find it odd that you titled the video tapping a birch and you didn't even show the drilling process. You sat there and talked about how drilling it isn't going to harm the tree and then just skipped that whole part of the video. I would recommend doing some jump cuts in the future and taking out the parts where you repeat yourself. Also I would make sure that every single step involved in the process is recorded and included.
+Zack8133 True but there are many many ways to tap the tree so I felt it wasn't exactly necessary. Depends on what people and culture are doing the tapping. I also find that there is no 'best' way. I appreciate the input. Editing is an ongoing learning process and I just do this stuff for fun.
the loud music made this feel like an interpretive music piece
youre very attractive and the way you talk about the trees makes my heart melt so thank you for being awesome.
14:40 is that some kind of improvised version of led zeppelin stairway to heaven playing in the background?
I really dont see why so many thumbs down and negative comments. If people want straight facts just google it and find the shortest possible article you can find.
These kind of videos are my favorite since i can just wind down and relax so i appreciate the length, if i had any critique it would be that the music is too loud but then again maybe thats just my headphones.
only because of the title. the title didn't say, "how to tap a tree and my personal thoughts on the subject. he rambled for 9 fucking minutes about nonsense. repeating himself redundant. not only did he ramble for half of the video, he did NOT drill the hole on camera OR seal the hole. Its a poor production.
Hi NIce video except couldn't quite hear you do to the background music being so loud ! thanks for the video anyway.
true, best to turn on subtitles
Lovely video. I like your style of delivery very much. It is "slow", but that's obviously only because you are in the moment and aren't worried about simply giving information. It's an aesthetic experience and I hope you don't worry about people saying you should get to the point... why should you. Rather, people should learn how to relax.
+Gwynne Gibbons thanks for saying so. Yes it has been entertaining seeing the types of negative comments this video has attracted over the past couple of years. I don't speak in front of cameras often and I do have a problem rambling, but oh well. Im a real person and I don't believe in scripting things really. This isn't my profession and thought I could share a little bit of my knowledge in the subject.
I like to think of this more as a casual demonstration, something you'd show friends in person. No reason to go back, re-edit, spend hours perfecting something since its not a tv show :)
Cheers, and happy new year
-Alex
It's funny how society has taught people to get information as quickly and accurately as possible - not so much to enjoy the information and the experience the information is found within. Look forward to watching more of your videos soon. Thanks - and happy new year to you too. Ellie
Thanks for the great vid to see how it's done. Just wondered how you drill the hole? Didn't see the tool. That would be great. Thanks again.
You can see the cordless hand drill on the ground beside the tree at the 13:30 mark. Cheers.
I usually just take a hand auger with me, but I will sometimes take a power drill with me if Im in a rush. There are lots of ways to do this. I have also just poked a small hole with my knife which is an old pioneer method. Make an incision and then place a small stick inside to lead the drops into your can.
Bit and Brace is the best tool to use with a slight upward angle, drill in about an 1"" don't forget to plug it when your done, best time to do this is the last 2 weeks of February,/ first 2 weeks March.no later than that.
Great video. I think the people complaining about the volume of the music must be using speakers. It sounded perfectly fine to me on headphones.
Looking good bro, can't wait to finally try some wine!
Adirondack Woodsman gonna have to wait on the wine. I had 14 gallons of wine brewing but thats all toast now. Hope to start collecting in a couple weeks for a fresh batch. Should be ready by this summer for us to sip on brother!
Really loved this video, mate. Very instructive and very soothing. I could almost smell the forest and I loved the guitar. We need more of this kind of thing in our lives. Thanks :)
+Nigel Rayment thanks!
They say that if you tap birches on May Day the sap can make people fall in love
Thanks for the video. We’re moving to Alaska and bought some property with a lot of birch trees. Looking forward to trying this traditional tap.
Sumac branches make easy, skinny taps because of their soft centers. Cut and dry near fire/heat before hollowing. Thanks for sharing birch tapping.
A lot of haters on here, but I found this to be extremely useful, especially the details on how to make the spile. I'm too far south to find many birches (though I see a lone one in the woods on the high altitude hilltops sometimes), but this kind of spile would also work for maple I'm betting and I have a ton of those. I've tapped a maple before (but without a good spile, just cutting a branch and hanging a can under the cut branch) and it was pretty cool. Free clean water and energy (sugar) from a common tree.
hey thanks for saying so. It's a shame that youtube has become infested with such low IQ. Just wanted to post a film to friends who asked me to show them how I tap a tree. Millions of ways, probably better ones but this is what I do. Cheers!
here in N Carolina we have a lot of paper Birch's..never seen a Black Birch, its bark reminds me of our Beech trees here
Im sorry you didnt even SHOW how you did the the hole your making an Eucational video and you missed that bit out
+Creative Inspirations I saw a drill and a spade bit on the ground, guess that's how he made the hole.
+Creative Inspirations well I explained there are many methods of doing this. One could use a hand auger, or power drill. Really I didn't think it was a priority since it's as simple as lifting a little bit of bark.
+Creative Inspirations He said he was going to auger it. So he clearly drilled it - with an auger. Using a hand drill. I thought that bit was pretty obvious.
+Tim Birch There was a power drill in the background, I thought that was pretty obvious. You could technically state that is a hand drill but it'd be semantics :P
+Kalle Äger critical thinking is a handy skill to bad your grammer killed it
i came for the nectar, i stayed for the sweet zepplin rifs.
12:48 hahaha yes! that bit of stairway is unstoppable
did he say witchcraft?
Bushcraft.
LeanandG13 minecraft
Warcraft.
gaycraft
LeanandG13 porncraft
Hahaha "If anyone says that is not good they are crazy" Love it!!! Good video dude :)
Thanks Mark!
Watching made me feel like I had been slipped psychedelics. Nice knife ! Looks fun !
Music sounds like stairway to heaven can anyone confirm this?
Well, it would be if it was played by someone who know how..
P0tat07 noticed that too
P0tat07 either that or the rain song hard to tell
The music is this guys brother learning to play Stairway to Heaven !
you can patch holes with pine pitch,, white pine,, protectors from weather and illness,, works on pines too, lol
Great info, you are definitely passionate about birch trees!
You can put a small kitchen funnel in the hole in the lid.
Check out Maurice Clothers TH-cam video on tapping a tree. He does a fool proof way of bugs , flies or rain etc ever getting to the birch sap.
It is good that video
Three observations: 1. a good technique for easterners who live where a lot of rain falls, not so much for the more arid west side of the CONUS. 2. How about cutting a larger hole in that plastic coffer can top and putting coarse fillter paper underneath, cut large enough to seal tight under the outer side of said top as it snaps back onto can, to keep the bugs out. 3. How did you seal the hole left in the tree after you were done?
Thanks for the tips. I'm in no way a pro at this, I just tap them to make small batches of wine and everytime I do this, the process gets more refined.
I'm now your newest fan. Awesome video.
For making spiels I love to use sumac. It has a soft core that you can poke out and just carve a taper. Great video, keep up the good work!!
Hey thanks. Good to know
This video relaxed the hell out of me.
Damn. you tapped that birch good.
the music in the background reminds me of the banjo scene from deliverance
Great video, love the stairway to heaven guitar rifts.
Oh thanks! I didn't even realize I was playing that!
I guess it really depends on the device u r watching this video on…
The video was done well and audio/music/weather were not a problem with each other.
As Alex mentions rough but tips and ideas for us viewers. I personally use bags/tops/spiels from my local hardware, which helps ME to avoid issues with bugs and weather. Still a few mosquitoes and once in a while a spider or two. I live in Northwest woods of WI. I am interested in the wine/tonic recipe. Happy Tapping
Hey thanks for the awesome video ! I appreciate all the knowledge. I live in Westchester county NY about 30 min south of Fishkill. I have 3 questions for you.
1. What time should I tap a birch tree?
2. How do you personally fill the hole cleanly after you are done?
3 Please tell me you sell a CD of your tunes ! They are awesome. I am in such a great mood after listening to it. Alright dude take care. -Peace
Nice "backpack", well done.
I like it too! i want to make one :D
jajajaj "this is what you do to make the woodpeckers jealous", nice trick to get food.
Really interesting and natural way to tap a Birch. Can’t wait to give it a try.
Thanks! It's probably not the best way, but a quick simple way I like to do it for small batches of sap.
Hey, I had a good idea as I was watching this video. You could possibly make a tutorial on how to make the Birch Sap Wine, it would be an interesting video to watch.
Great info, good production style, nice music.
I noticed that the tree looks wet running down the tap or the tree. Is that sap or rain water running down the tree? Does your tap leak sap underneath it? Thanks for sharing!
"If you do it right, it only takes... one try."
what animal is that in the background at 1:20
same as 6:30
and 7:44
Jarid Gaming it's a turtle duh
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing this.
awesome video. could you tell me what that first song is called ? thanks
Music gives a Diablo II vibe.
Hey Alexander. Two questions. Your video work is great. What camera/lens do you use? Secondly, could a person just use a spile like you would on a maple tree?
+Chad Valiquette Yes you could use a metal spile but I am a carver so naturally I just make them. Quicker than driving to the store for me :)
Its a Nikon dslr and the lens is 24-70
Hey thanks for the awesome video ! I appreciate all the knowledge. I live in Westchester county NY about 30 min south of Fishkill. I have 3 questions for you.
1. What time should I tap a birch tree?
2. How do you personally fill the hole cleanly after you are done?
3 Please tell me you sell a CD of your tunes ! They are awesome. I am in such a great mood after listening to it. Alright dude take care.
✌😊✝❤
Hi there, I grew up a half hour east of fishkill. In Wingdale where I filmed this
1. There is no set date. It's usually march whenever the nights are cold and the days are warm. This creates a pumping action.
2. there are different methods all which seem to start arguments on the internet but the trees will close themselves. I talk about this in the vid a bit.
3. Thank you!! I don't sell my music actually, I'm not sure why. I just record low key, nothing is professionally recorded. But I get a lot of interest in this so I have been thinking more and more, maybe I'll start a patreon page where people can pay a couple bucks and I just upload albums there. I just didn't want to deal with investing in printing cd's and all that stuff!
I don't make much money as it is being a carver but these comments fuel my fire so thank you!!
What do you suggest is a good idea? I'm open to ideas about the music thing as I record everyday but rarely share it. Cheers!
-Alex
I loved your video and love your ethos. Is it ok if I add you to my "featured channels" on my page?!? Also how much would you charge for your tracks, and would I be able to use them in my own videos?!?
Hey thank you, thats very kind. You can add me to your channels, that will be pretty cool. As for tracks Im sad to say we just had a devastating house fire and lost just about everything. So my entire harddrive archives of film and music were lost so I must start over fresh. I haven't thought much about licensing music but Id love to...just have to figure out a price. Email me please so we can keep in touch.
Alex@alexanderyerks.com
Alexander Yerks çok konuşuyorsun bu kadar geveze olmayın az ve öz olun
Hi I didn't read through all the comments to see if this had been covered, but you have to check up on your tree knowledge. The only living part of a tree is in the three outermost layers of the bark. Like 1/8" of bark. The "heart of the tree" is only dead wood. nothing to kill. Otherwise, pretty interesting video.
+David Leland thanks for the info. Im not in front of a camera very often and just do this for fun. So when put on the spot, sometimes funny things come out that weren't planned. But you are totally correct. Cheers
When is the best time of the year for tapping the Brich? Spring?
+Kropikovo Yes the sap doesn't really run during the other seasons
Nice video, I would recommend not filling the holes of the tree though as you trap moisture and are encouraging decay, no amount of cleaning is going to remove microbes or fungi from it. The trick with these is actually just getting it as dry as possible and letting natural tree function occlude the hole (eventually).
Hey thanks for the kind words and advice. I appreciate learning more as I'm not expert just having fun. This is a 7 year old video so much has changed how I go about this as I've learned from others during my travels. Thank you again, it's nice to share these things with the world.
Hey Alexander, what type of knife was that you used in the video?
Great sound track!
i had few dozen trees taped,, lots o sugar maple like you said,, i used it for nutrition., was poor and did a lot of subsistence living native born native yankee, birch is living
another great video man stunning videography (think that is the right word) what kind of knife are you using in this video it's stunning
Thanks!
The knife was forged by Joonas Kallioneimi
great knife, its a puukko?
Hey Alexander, great video, i like it a lot. P.S. Why don't u use a piece of cloth to keep out the bugs? With a string u can keep the cloth in place and put the plastic lid on the tap to keep out the rain etc....
Thanks, that is a good idea. There are many. This was just my quick way of doing it.. I strain off the sap as I collect it so its not too big of a deal I guess.
Cheesecloth would be great!
I like the jacket! What kind is it?
Seems that gravity would allow most of the rain into the can no matter how small the hole was, or run off both water and sap. Why not cover the can with a bit of canvas?
+pop9095
yeah that's what I was thinking as well. The whole will still protect from some rain, but I don't know how much (maybe 40-90%, strongly depending on the location of the hole and angle of the lid)
MsHojat Angling the lid just means a mixture of rain and sap will be dripping off, not really helping the dilution problem, just losing more product. Still seems like making some sort of "hat" for lack of a better word to sit on top of the tapping instrument and over the can solves the rain problem.
pop9095
Yeah I know
this dude looks like Richard Karn from home improvement
Drinking too much birch sap can cause a nasty diarrhea because of the xylitol present, so I wouldn't rely on it in a survival situation. It is really tasty though, so if your life isn't depending on it, go for a taste. It can also be made into a tasty mead-like alcoholic drink. Cool to see you use a Joonas Kallioniemi puukko, greetings from Finland!
Nice tap. Who does your music?
+Finn Does Outdoors Hey I actually do. Nothing special just some random off the cuff field recordings. Seems to drive some folks nuts, since it's not polished studio material, but Im not trying to make it something it's not. Just random stuff :)
What type of camera is being used in this video thanks
How do you finish up with the birch tree? Do you cut off your spigot and hammer in the plug into the hole?
I actually save the spiles and I just carve a little cork and tap it in. Sometimes I wax them over. This ensures that you won't risk the tree catching something and getting sick.
Awesome video brethren! I'm a big fan of Birch Beer, and one of my brewing buddies makes some occasionally, but using storebought ingredients. I'm not real big on storebought concentrates, so I haven't tried to brew my own as of yet, but this might be a good option for experimentation!
+CapnsKustomWorks thanks! I make birch wine but haven't tried birch beer yet. Sounds good!
+Alexander Yerks Yeah, I thought that was interesting when ye said "Birch Wine" at the start of the video, I'll have to look into that!
From Russia with love.
Thats great, sending it right back.Thanks!
Hi!
Thats a very nice knife!
Did you get it from britishblades forum or where, if you don't mind me asking?
Those are really hard to come by even here in Finland.
Greetings!
+beduiini it was hand forged by Joonas Kallionemi in finland. I can't get in touch with him anymore but I love his work.
+Alexander Yerks
Yep. I know. his knives are quite hard to find even here in Finland.
great video man youre a legend! just make sure the music doesnt over power your voice
hey thanks. I wish I could re-edit everything but I lost all my stuff in a housefire two years ago. I thought of pulling the video but decided I might as well leave it up for folks to try
Great video bro. What part of NY was this filmed? Although I don't wholly agree with the digital courage folks about you talking too much, I do think the video could have been shortened to ten minutes unless you were describing different techniques. The music was relaxing and I enjoyed the scenery. Great video quality to. Good job!
Hey thanks. Ya it's on going learning. I don't do this for money, just for fun. I've gotten so many requests to show it so I whipped something up. It's a bit long winded but I can't go back to reedit because I lost the footage in a fire
Thank you for this great video, it was a pleasure to see it! :-) Wich knive did you use in this video and who was the maker of this knive?
Wow! Awesome!
By the way... Is that a New Zealand Svord? (Knife)
It's a hand forged puukko made by Joonas Kalioneimi in Finland. I wouldn't use a folding knife for this... could be dangerous.
great video. Thank you for this brother
+Aaron Travieso thanks!
I enjoyed the video. Thanks for your time and consideration.
hey thanks for the warm words.
how long can you drip it?
+richard mitchell the trees 'sap run' is for about a month. Depends on the climate
See I would have used a small tarp or a bag to cover the tap and bucket with to stop bugs getting to it at all.
+Rothiir Magus that is one way to do it. There are many, its all personal preference.
I would recommend adjusting the background audio for your videos to be softer than your voice. Although I could make out what you were saying, there were times it was made difficult by the guitar playing you used.
You could tie an umbrella over it, to protect it from the rain ...
Good idea :)
Could use cheesecloth to prevent insects from getting into the sap. Maybe a hole in the lid as you show over the cheesecloth. Just a thought. Straining insects does not appeal to me. LOL.
+Sherry Fingerlin That is one way to do it. There are many. Its all personal preference.
great video man, subbed. will catch up this weekend. ATB -Nate
Thanks!
What did you tap the tree with...???
so peaceful
that was definitely a attempt stair way to heaven for sure lol
+jennifer gardner hah I have no clue. Im not a fan of the song but if Im sure a similar chord was in there somewhere. Im a big Jimmy Page fan.
Tapping the Birch - Traditional Hipster Way Lol :)
Id love to see a hiptser do anything other than shopping and having their nails done.
You won't catch them out in the woods because it's not in Williamsburg.
do you have videos of you making the wine or tea?
+Austin Stanwood I haven't made a video on that yet. All of my original footage and projects burned up in a fire so I have to refilm a lot of them.
no descrption? That you on the guitar Mr. Yerks?
It's me. Just random off the cuff field recordings. Nothing fancy
Bravo Sir!
damn man, I love what you are doing, great attitude! I will have to try this, do you know if it works in the winter?
Was the drill you used for making the hole not "natural" enough to show? Also, hope you plug the hole because that tree will die if left open.
That's not always true. Woodpeckers are very lively here and drill hundreds of holes for the sap. They heal themselves
While I appreciate what you're doing here, it can kill the tree if not plugged. Woodpecker rings can cut off circulation and kill trees, and the holes they leave can let bacteria and parasites in. Leaving a taphole in a tree leaves it at risk for the latter, esp with the size and depth of the hole.
The Yerks lurks... :3
just cover the top with some clean cloth, mosquito net, or a bandage. like my grandma used to do
Can we do this in the Fall?
+Nathan VonR the sap only runs in early spring. Wish it was year round!
nice basket, thanks for the video
What about the north west states,which trees can be tapped.
Very emotional man
What happens to the trees after your done
Have you ever checked
he said he visits them every year so he probably applies a bung to the wound like a cork in the hole he made to stop it from leaking further then the year later when you visit the tree it should have healed
can you do it with white birch
peter markoli Yeah you can, it tastes great. Sort of a nutty-ish flavour.
+peter markoli Yes but it doesn't have the same minty taste.