Thumper... Why bother?

[bt1]

Howdy,

Bout time we had a good full on mid winter theory post we can all get involved in and have a point of view. Need one in winter to stop brain rot!

So deliberately provoking and expecting plenty (please do contribute...all welcome!)

So the proposition is thumper technology is old hat , left over from early pot still still days and adds little to a modern plater in terms of benefits...

Yes you say? ...add in it's overly complicated to construct and a few std. plates would achieve the same result!

So why bother!...let put thumpers where they belong...in the retro still builder section :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Let's have your best! One rule please specify if rum or other washes in your reply!

bt1

[SBB]

thumper technology is old hat , left over from early pot still still days and adds little to a modern plater in terms of benefits...

Like most older methods and technology I'm sure they still have a place and a use in distilling, this applies to most things in life, not every thing modern and shiney is better in all aspects. I been thinking about thumpers a bit lately and sometime in the future want to play around with them as a way to add different and better flavour profiles.

overly complicated to construct

Hardly complicated to build, well within the reach of most folk who can build a pot.

One rule please specify if rum or other washes in your reply!

Fruit Brandies and schnapps to name a couple.....or at least thats the way Im going to be going.

[Yummyrum]

Howdy,

.... and a few std. plates would achieve the same result!...

bt1

Is this so.? How many plates is a thumper equivalent to ?

Mac has made a few set ups with a thumper under the bubler section .Other than the obvious woow factor ,I have always wondered whats the advantage ?

Edit Woops : Rum :D

[philthy]

are you stoned bt1???

[bt1]

Philthy No...

present your point of view please.. I love a bit of spicy passionate comment!

Rhetoric's won't cut it on this post :D

fess up!...your a thumper fan? Why?

bt1

[crow]

Old hat does not mean no good. your pretty fond of your plated stills. Well guess what they are over 200 yrs old now, true they are much improved but the concept has not changed since the 1700's and the basic plat design since 1828 except for some down comer theory improvements in 1830 {some stuff on it in this link below}
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2754&start=20#p38625

[MacStill]

Thumper... Why bother?

Why wouldnt you bother ?

THUMP POT 1.jpg

:teasing-neener:

[r.c.barstud]

good topic bt1 :clap: I think its up to personal experience and comfort zones, im old school with what i do and VERY rarely run my still without a thumper, i find it gives me more room for movement, in saying that, i havent played around with "new age" technology, i borrowed a mates t500 recently and freaked out, in the end it was a piss o` piss to run :smile:

[bt1]

So what qualities does a thumper add?

bt1

[r.c.barstud]

Just going to use a rum as an example here, well if you want to add more of a molasses flavour to it, you can add more wash to the thumper, so during the run the vapours will pick up the flavour better, if you want less flavour add more dunder or even water if you wanted to.

[MacStill]

Just going to use a rum as an example here, well if you want to add more of a molasses flavour to it, you can add more wash to the thumper, so during the run the vapours will pick up the flavour better, if you want less flavour add more dunder or even water if you wanted to.

A little roasted orange peel and some pepper corns & you'll get a yummy orange spiced rum :dance:

[Dominator]

Just going to use a rum as an example here, well if you want to add more of a molasses flavour to it, you can add more wash to the thumper, so during the run the vapours will pick up the flavour better, if you want less flavour add more dunder or even water if you wanted to.

Not that I have used a thumper yet, or a plated column, but my my thoughts on the theory is thumpers are a way of increasing ABV while keeping plenty of flavor, perhaps more flavor than a plate.
Both plates and thumpers work by redistilling to increase your ABV. On a plate your scrubbing your wash with distillate, which I would think will produce a cleaner spirit. Whereas in a thumper your scrubbing with wash/dunder, which will carry more flavor into your spirit.
One day when I have got a plates column, I would love to try different setups with numbers of plates with and with out a thumper. Perhaps 2-3 plates with a thumper for a stronger flavored rum.
Like I said, I have no experience with either, just my thoughts on the theory.

[r.c.barstud]

Just going to use a rum as an example here, well if you want to add more of a molasses flavour to it, you can add more wash to the thumper, so during the run the vapours will pick up the flavour better, if you want less flavour add more dunder or even water if you wanted to.

A little roasted orange peel and some pepper corns & you'll get a yummy orange spiced rum :dance:

Shit!! thats pretty dang close to my recipe, im gonna try your way on the weekend.

[r.c.barstud]

Just going to use a rum as an example here, well if you want to add more of a molasses flavour to it, you can add more wash to the thumper, so during the run the vapours will pick up the flavour better, if you want less flavour add more dunder or even water if you wanted to.

Not that I have used a thumper yet, or a plated column, but my my thoughts on the theory is thumpers are a way of increasing ABV while keeping plenty of flavor, perhaps more flavor than a plate.
Both plates and thumpers work by redistilling to increase your ABV. On a plate your scrubbing your wash with distillate, which I would think will produce a cleaner spirit. Whereas in a thumper your scrubbing with wash/dunder, which will carry more flavor into your spirit.
One day when I have got a plates column, I would love to try different setups with numbers of plates with and with out a thumper. Perhaps 2-3 plates with a thumper for a stronger flavored rum.
Like I said, I have no experience with either, just my thoughts on the theory.

i have no idea about plates and all that fancy stuff, but you are correct about the increase of abv with a thumper.

[kiwikeg]

Poorly designed and incorrectly operated thumpers cause smearing.

A spirit run thru a well designed pot still with low wines diluted with a nice wash will give a desirably flavored result with a much larger yeild of drinkable hearts as the cuts will be more defined with less smearing than the same wash put thru a thumper set up.

Thumpers have their place though....
Its in the scrap metal bin.

The above comments are based on my own prejudices and refer to ujsm type washes.

[crow]

Poorly designed and incorrectly operated thumpers cause smearing.
A spirit run thru a well designed pot still with low wines diluted with a nice wash will give a desirably flavored result with a much larger yeild of drinkable hearts as the cuts will be more defined with less smearing than the same wash put thru a thumper set up.
Thumpers have their place though....
Its in the scrap metal bin.
The above comments are based on my own prejudices and refer to ujsm type washes.

Gona go out on a limb here and put it to you that you had a bad experience :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[MacStill]

I think everyone who's tried it would agree that a large inline thumper below a set of plates works differently to a pot with a thumper, the inline thumper on a bubbler is an awesome addition if you know what you're doing ;-)

[Yummyrum]

Mac what is the advantage of having a thumper below ? Still have know idea.

[MacStill]

Mac what is the advantage of having a thumper below ? Still have know idea.

non return of reflux to the boiler if your thumper is large enough can equal quicker run times, and the cool factor :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Yummyrum]

Thanks Mac
LoL .definitely got the cool factore bit.

So if not run properly,there could be flooding issues I guess if too much reflux applied.

Do you have a boiler/thumper ratio that works .

Could you drain off excess build up in an undersized inline thumper ?

What typical AVB is in a thumper at the end of a run ?