Cedar Eater

[67HEAVEN]

Cedar Eater,

Your signature includes the phrase... "A tarp over my deck is my sugar shack".

I've been considering something similar for next year, to allow me to boil when it's raining. Is there an opening in the tarp above your pan to allow the steam to escape? Do you get any drip-backs into the pan from around the opening? If you boil in the rain, does it keep the rain out?

Any photos?

Thanks.

[Cedar Eater]

There's no opening for the steam. The tarp is 14 X 12 and I tied the 12' edge to eye screws under the soffit. The tarp slopes down from my roof over the handrail on the deck, which is about 10' from the house. I tied it to the posts and siderails of the deck. Condensate runs down the tarp to the handrail. Occasionally I bump my head into it and get my hair wet, but it never drips otherwise. High winds have tried to tear it off several times and I've had to fix it. I probably should have bought a heavy duty tarp with reinforced corners. The wind typically blows through from side to side rather than against the tarp, but I'm sure the tarp will be pretty trashed by the time I finish birch season. Both rain and snow have failed to get through the tarp while I've been out boiling under it. I've ejected snow over the railing by pushing up from under the tarp.

Here's a pic. 11667

[67HEAVEN]

Thanks very much. That answers my questions.