Harvesting Birch Sap & Making Chaga Tea.
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- Опубликовано: 22 мар 2019
- In this video we head off into the woods to harvest a bit of Birch sap and make a cup of Chaga tea. Both the sap and Chaga that are harvested from the Birch tree are high in vitamins and minerals, amino acids and other good stuff. Perfect to shake of the winter and get ready for Spring. When making Chaga tea at home, I like to simmer the Chaga for around 2 hours to release as much of the properties as possible. Thanks for watching...…….
Uses for Birch Sap : waldenlabs.com/uses-for-birch...
Medicinal uses for Birch : www.home-remedies-for-you.com...
Metal Sap Tap : www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Maple-S...
Chaga Health Benefits : www.ethnoherbalist.com/chaga-e...
Scottish Chaga to buy : www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100g-of-Or...
Russian Chaga Tea to buy : www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chaga-Natu... 
Развлечения
Thanks, Mark.
Yet another horizon of experience revealed.
Please keep up your efforts - much appreciated.
Your very welcome Muhammad :) Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment :) Have a great week ahead, all the best, Mark :)
Ahh Mark Bailey..... one of a hand full of bushcraft youtubers I can like the video of before even watching 5 sec's as I know it will be quality and I will learn something new even if I have seen other videos on the subject!
As always, cheers Mark
Regards
Chris
Hi Chris, many thanks for watching the video and for the awesome comments that you send :)
I have been enjoying your latest trips out...… keep up the great work. It's always great hearing from you Chris, all the best, Mark :)
Thanks for the interesting tips. I only thought you could do it by tapping the trunk. I will definitely be using these methods. - Josh
Good afternoon Josh, I hope you are keeping well :) I was shown the method of using the twigs by a couple of Swedish fishing guides I used to work with. It allows for less tools and hopefully better for the tree :) Thank as always Josh... have a nice week, all the best, Mark.
Hey brother Mark! Cracking video! Thoroughly enjoyed! Although I've read about this I've never actually done it. Really nice to see. Thanks for sharing. Have a blessed one, and may the forest be with you
Hi brother, I hope you are keeping well :) Many thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. It is always a pleasure to hear from you. I hope you have a blessed week too, all the best, Mark :)
Very interesting Mark, thank you for the look see, always a pleasure to watch your vids and i always pick up another trick or two..regards Matt....🍻.
Hi Matt, I hope you are keeping well. You should give it a try and make some wine or birch/honey mead :) Thank you as always Matt for watching and taking the time to comment. Have a great weekend, all the best, Mark :)
Hi Mark hope you are keeping well mate great video thanks
Hi Shaun, yes thanks mate, I doing well. I hope you are too. Thanks as always for watching and taking the time to comment. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all the best, Mark :)
I really admire your knowledge Mark it's a pleasure to sit back and listen to. If I had the spare money (I am saving every penny) I would purchase a setup and replicate your advice here. One day for sure. I gotta say I didn't notice your upload but a real joy to catch up. All the best. Mark
Hi Mark, I hope you are having a nice weekend :) Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Most of the tools that I bought were from a used tool stands at a few of the shows. I know what you mean, it can be expensive trying to get kitted out for all the different things. Thank you for the kind words, Mark :) Take care mate, all the best, Mark :)
Great film Mark. I always learn something or pick up ideas when I watch your video's. I have never done either of the activities in the film; Harvest Birch sap and Chaga tea. Something to add to the learning list. Lovely spot mate. I loved the line, ' have a brew and enjoy the fresh air'. Not managed to get out this weekend other than walks with Cooper, so your film is my fix. Cheers and ATB, Sel
Good Afternoon Sel, I hope you have had a nice weekend mate :) Many thanks for watching and taking the time to comment as always :) I'm sure Cooper is enjoying his walks..... hopefully the weather will start to pick up, then you will be able to take him camping :) Always nice to hear from you Sel. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, all the best, Mark :)
Great video again Mark always nice to learn that kind of stuff.Looking forward to the next one!! Greetings from the Netherlands.
Hi Robert, I hope you are keeping well. Always nice to hear from you..... I hope the weather in he Netherlands is starting to warm up. Great country, I spent a bit of time in Holland. Have a great weekend, all the best, Mark.
Just came across you got right into my outdoor teas nettle, burdock now I’m going to try this. And this stuff is all over the trees in my woods!
Many thanks for watching Michael 👍. Have a great week, all the best, Mark :)
Absolutely superb explanation and demonstration of collecting birch sap and Chaga tea 👍. Brilliant job , dont think you missed a trick with any of it. Loved it. Looked a great relaxing day in the forest with the birds enjoying themselves also. I reckon I've used the broken branch method solely for the last 5 years because it's easy and does the job for me . It would be rude not to have a taste of spring and I like the way different trees taste a little different. I have in the past made a plaster for the tree from willow bark or similar 🙂. Loved it Mark, great educational bushcraft film 👍 enjoy the rest of your weekend 🙂
You have great channel brother. I never see this technique.Very cool. Thanks for sharing this video.
Hi Brother, many thanks for watching and for the kind words :) I hope you have a great day, all the best, Mark.
Same way I do it,I freeze the rest in and use it when we want some
Great and informative video,well done
Hi Steve, many thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :) I tend to freeze what's left as well. I read an article somewhere that it can start to ferment if left too long. I remember and old Ray Mears programme where he says he makes ice cubes out of and use it in a glass of malt. I might have to try that sometime :) Have a great day, all the best, Mark.
There's only one thing I would suggest, is using the same species to plug the tree, reduces chance of introducing disease or fungi which may not naturally infect Birch. This is suggested by Mike MCQ and as many of you know, Mike is the man when it comes to full knowledge of basically anything bushcraft! :)
Cheers Mark
Chris
I agree with you 100% Chris, Mike certainly knows his stuff :) Good call on using a birch plug. that's why I like to harvest the sap by cutting a small twig, as it is less invasive than drilling and plugging, Have a great day mate :) I'm off to work :( All the best, Mark :)
@@markbailey2981 Thanks mate, yup I will definitely be looking into trying that one out next year, I assume there will be less yield per tree when harvesting through small branches as opposed to the trunk?
Hope you had a sweet weekend?
Cheers
Chris
Hi Chris, I hope you are having a nice weekend mate :) Unfortunately I have been working all weekend mate. I've just got home :) So life has just got a whole lot better lol. I would think so mate. The amount of pressure pumping the sap up the trunk to the tops must quite high hence the usual good yields from the trunk. I would assume it doesn't need as much when it get to the ends of the twigs. So to overcome this, you could do multiple twigs if you a looking for a decent amount of sap. I still got a nice amount for the time I was out. But if I was making mead or syrup then I would of needed more. Thanks for the great comment Chris, have a top week mate, all the best, Mark:)
@@markbailey2981 Cool! cheers for the reply!
Thanks for sharing 👍👍
Your welcome..... thank you for watching and taking the time to comment :) All the best, Mark.
Hi Mark! Thank you for reminding me harvesting some birch sap. Good idea to use a hose. So far I simply hang my cup or bottle underneath the branch I cut. But I think I will give it a try with a hose next time.
The chaga tea looked great. Have a great week brother! André
Hi Andre, I hope you are keeping well brother :) I find the hose works well if you are getting the sap from a thin twig. That way you don't have to worry about the weight of the bottle hanging down or falling off. I hope the weather has started to pick up a bit Andre. It looks like a nice week ahead :) Thank you as always for watching and taking the time to comment, all the best, Mark :)
It is MY pleasure! :-)
Liked and commented before watching bc this will definitely be brilliant.
Hi Tom. many thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :) I hope you enjoyed the video. Have a great weekend, all the best, Mark.
Another great watch mark. I look forward to seeing you out and about its been ages since I got out there. I've never tried chaga I must put it on the shopping list. Keep them rolling pal.
All the best Dave
Hi Dave, I hope you are keeping well mate :) Thank you as always for watching. The weather has started to improve a bit, so it has been nice out. If you want to try chaga mate I will send you some up. Its the least I can do for the canvas you sent. If you email me your address I will pop some in the post this week. Thanks Dave, have a nice weekend mate, all the best, Mark.
Thanks mate I'm still waiting to see the canvas out with you.
I still haven't got a sewing machine. As soon as I get one, you will be the first to see the wears :)
Very interesting! My family were named after these trees might as well learn about the trees, eh?
I keep on meaning to get out and try this but have never got round to it thanks for sharing Mark😁👍
Hi Carl, I hope you are keeping well mate and having a nice Easter. Many thanks for watching mate and taking the time to comment :) You should give it a try sometime. Make some Birch Mead out of it :) Take care Carl, speak to soon mate.
@@markbailey2981 I'm good thanks Mark have a good Easter to mate😁👍
Great little Saturday morning viewing. Thanks for you work Mark.👍keep it up.
Hi Adam, I'm glad you like it :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all the best, Mark.
God morning Mark it looked like a beautiful day to be out and about!
I tried harvesting some birch sap here a few days back but it's still not flowing here in my area. I lost all the footage anyway lol, I'll have to try again soon.
Nice to see you my friend, take care and I'm looking forward to your next vid! 👍🍻 Wade
Hi Wade, I hope you are keeping well brother :) Yeah I think if we can keep this settled weather then we should start to see things turning green. I suppose you had it a lot colder than we have it here. Our Spring is underway with a few types of trees showing the signs. My two favourite season, Spring and Autumn, So I always enjoy this time of the year. I will look forward to your video mate if you re-film it. It's a nightmare when you loose footage. I lost all mine a couple of months ago when my hard drive burnt out. Take care and speak to you soon, Mark :)
Every time i watch you two chaps i get an urge to get my @rse back out in the woods lol Wade do you think Mark sneaked a wee drop of the hard stuff in his Chaga brew LOL come on Mark confess ... LOL 👍
@@MaffTUK I dont know Matt, myself I NEVER touch the stuff🤣🍻
@@MaffTUK LOL, I wish. I have never actually tried it with a drop in it. I recon it would be quite nice though :) I could send you a lump of chaga to try if you fancy Matt? Hope you are keeping well Matt :) All the best, Mark.
Just what I needed this morning. Thank you for the video, they always make me want to get back out in the woods.
Hi Josh, many thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Have a great weekend, all the best, Mark :)
Thanks Mark. I’m itching to get into the woods to enjoy Spring coming to life. I didn’t know it was possible (now seems obvious) to tap a Birch from a branch, so something new learned there. All the best. :)
Hi Darryl, I hope you are keeping well and enjoying the weekend :) Yes I think Spring has now sprung. Not a bad day out today. Thanks as always for watching and taking the time to comment, all the best, Mark.
Great video Mark, didn’t know anything about this subject, really interesting thank you
Hi Peter, many thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, all the best, Mark :)
Fantastic video pal defo going to try this and see what it taste like hope all is well with you buddy thanks for sharing a.t.b Andrew
Cheers Andrew. I hope you are having a nice weekend mate. It tastes like slightly sweetened water with a slight birch taste. It is quite nice. Thanks for watching, all the best, Mark :)
Brilliant video, packed full of useful information, presented in a very natural and down to earth manner. Looking forward to watching and learning about tapping Sycamore trees, if you get around to it. Thank you for your work, producing such quality content.
Hi Antony, many thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :) Have a great weekend, all the best, Mark :)
We will be collecting maple sap for only one more week. We are almost out of wood at the sugar house. We use spiles. I keep one in one of my bags for
An emergency. Thanks and take care.
@@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234 Hi Quinn, I hope you are having a nice weekend :) Yes I have enjoyed watching your videos at the sugar house. I think our old tradition for sweetness was honey. Bee keeping is making a big return here. Thanks as always for stopping by Quinn, all the best, Mark :)
Brace and Bit not the other way round 👍🏻
LOL, I must of been getting mixed up with bib & brace :) Thanks for watching and putting me right :) All the best, Mark.
Nice video Mark, i have wondered about the snipped branch method to collect the sap. I've done it before with the drill method in Scotland but I've missed the past 3 springs as I've been away. So I'm looking to collect some in the next few days and give this method a try. Thanks for sharing buddy. Take care.
Hi Andy, I hope you are keeping well mate :) I am just about to watch your latest video when I have replied to the comments. The weather is supposed to be nice for the nest few days, so it will be nice out for you :) Have a great weekend, all the best, Mark :)
😎👍
Thanks Kanzee :)
Another great upload Mark thankyou, will be having a go at the sap harvesting come April am sure I will be able to make some sort of Alcohol based drink out of it. Cheers brother and have a great weekend.
Hi Bigearedmouse17, I hope you are well and having a nice weekend :) Honey mead is suppose to be nice, made out of the sap instead of water. I used to drink it when I lived down in Cornwall. I think it is a traditional drink down there. Many a pirate and smuggler used to enjoy it as a tipple. Now it's just old ladies lol. Have a great weekend too brother, all the best, Mark :)
Thanks for the video Mark, another good one. I did make birch sap wine a few years back, unfortunately not something I’d be in a hurry to do again!
Regards Dave
Hi David, I hope you are keeping well :) Thank you as always for watching. I wouldn't mind trying birch, honey mead. I used to like mead when I was living in Cornwall. Me and a few old ladies lol. Have a great weekend David, all the best, Mark :)
Very cool brother , love fresh syrup, i have a friend that has like 500 trees or more for maple syrup and a big sugar shack i love this time of the year !
atb john
Hi John, I hope you are keeping well brother :) Many thanks for stopping by. I would love to see the maple tapping that gets done. I have a bottle of the syrup every now and again. Most maples in Britain seem to be decorative, so we don't have a big maple syrup industry. Thanks as always John. All the best, Mark :)
Great video, Mark! Great ideas for harvesting the sap but I'm wondering, throughout the New England states harvesting maple sap is huge. The sap is used for making maple sugar, candy and of course, maple syrup. The harvesters there use a metal "chute" to collect the sap. I'm wondering if an aluminum tent stakes could be used in the same way. You know, one of those three-sided stakes. Anyway, just a thought. Thanks for sharing, have a great week! Brian. P.S. I like my Chaga tea straight, lol.
Oops! Just saw your links for metal taps!
Hi Brian, I hope you are having a nice weekend brother :) I would love to try the maple syrup. I don't have many maple trees locally, only in peoples gardens. I'm sure an aluminium tent stake should work fine. Yeah I am a wimp lol. I like my sugar in chaga tea. I find it covers the bitterness. You are a real man for drinking it straight :) Thanks as always Brian, all the best, Mark :)
It's soon Season for this again too! I was out in a new wood I've been scoping today, and I found thousands of Snowdrops in full flower in a few patches!
I still need to look into that sap tapping of the branch tips like you said before
I've been wondering recently why do the squirrels ring bark trees? I'm a bit annoyed as in the areas I explore, I find too many nice healthy Oak saplings where the closest oak are hundreds of meters away that have been ring barked and might die off!
Maybe I need to get back into Rifle shooting? hehe
cheers buddy
Hi Chris, many thanks for watching mate and taking the time to comment :) Yes it wont be long now. I noticed that the willows are starting to bud, so the birch won't be too far off. Yeah, squirrels are a right pest. They have killed off a good number of the small birch in the wood I use. They are buggers for stripping and ringing the trees. I tend to shoot them at work and try and keep the numbers down. I have read a few reasons why they do it. I'm not sure if they are true, but one reason is to get cambium layer to feed on the sugars and nutrients during the winter, another is to use the bark as nesting material and to sharpen their teeth, and one other reason was that female squirrels strip bark before giving birth as a way to respond to pain. I'm not sure if the last one is true, but you never know. If they are causing too much damage, then shooting them is the quickest option. Plus they taste quite nice in a stew. It's a shame we can't reintroduce our native red squirrels back into the woodlands again. Thanks again Chris.... take care mate, all the best, Mark :)
@@markbailey2981 haha I've never had squirrel but am open to trying it out one day, around 2012 I was trying to eventually getting a .22LR Licence to be able to rabbit and do some pest control, before I even was a member of a shooting club I was already checking squirrel recipes on YT!
I once witnessed a grey invading a drey of another squirrel then killing and dropping the babies out of the nest.
I'd love to see the Red's too one day.
Cheers
Is the sap sweet like maple sap is? Also what was that steam-like noise at 13:01? All the best Mark.
Hi Rich, I hope you are well and having a nice weekend :) The sap has a slight sweet taste to it. I'm not sure how it compares to maple sap as I have only ever tried the syrup. The difference is it takes about 10 litres of birch sap to make 1 litre of syrup, where it only takes 5 litres of maple sap to produce 1 litre of maple syrup. I think the noise you heard was a male cock-pheasant calling in a few ladies lol. They get very vocal and at this time of the year. Plus the males like to hang around on the country roads, fighting. I had the misfortune of hitting one a few years ago. It cost £400 to have the front end of the car repaired. Thanks as always Rich for taking the time to comment :) All the best, Mark.
Mark Bailey wow! I had no idea pheasants were that large!
I think it was an unlucky hit. It hit a headlight and also broke the grill. But they can get to a decent size. Especially some of the older male birds.
Sugar.... in chaga tea, Mark,...how could you. 😂😂😂😂
LOL, Yeah I need it sweet so I can dip my custard creams into it :)
Mark Bailey 😂😂😂😂
Do you think the Chaga mushroom grows in Norway too?
Hi KingSmegma, yes there are a number of videos of Chaga harvesting in Norway. It tends to grown in the cold Northern parts, so places like Norway fall into the same regions. Thanks for watching, all the best, Mark :)
@@markbailey2981
Thanks, man. That gives me something to do tomorrow then.
There's a small wooded area right down the road from where I live where there's birchtrees with various fungi on them.
Was thinking about just getting sap, but if I can get me some free mushrooms to boil tea off of I'm a happy camper.
If you look on you tube, and type in Chaga harvesting in Norway there are a number of videos listed. I think they are in Norwegian so I haven't watched them. I get non in my local area. But I do find hundreds of Birch Polypore also known as the razor strop fungus. That could also be worth some research as another useful fungus. I hope you have a good time, all the best, Mark.
2 Questions....Why, and what's the point ...as a tree surgeon, arborist and an outdoorsman the birch tree is in decline as it has an average life span of 40 - 60 years and suffers from disease and rot more than other species. The tapping was used by woodsman of old and plugged correctly, using birch plugs, and not other tree species which causes cross contamination, some people do not even bother to plug the hole leading the tree to " bleed " and prone to insect damage, rot and disease...which you stated to use a hazel plug, which the bark harbors many bacteria leading to the possibility of the tree becoming infected. If you need a drink, bring some water with you or filter some stream water, do not needlessly drill into a birch tree just because people think it's BUSHCRAFT or cool ....sorry to rant but it is a point which I feel strongly about and rather educate people to perform it correctly if they feel that they MUST do it.