Boiler and new Thumper

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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JellybeanCorncob
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Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

I've been been wanting to build my new thumper since late last spring. RedwoodHillbilly and JimyDee lit a fire under my ass and I finally got it done. It's all 2" copper except the down tube into the thump. It has been reduced to 1". Next up is cleaning the inside, vinegar run, then a sacrificial alcohol run.
Without further ado here's "Fella and Ursula".
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Truckinbutch »

:thumbup: Thanks for the introduction . I hope the three of you build a beautiful and lasting relationship .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

Truckinbutch wrote::thumbup: Thanks for the introduction . I hope the three of you build a beautiful and lasting relationship .
HUH?

Nice job JBC. Let's see what kind of whiskey it'll make. BTW, I can't keep my paws off of the last make, and damn it's pretty good. Hopefully there will be some left next time you're over. I put away a 750mL bottle with your name on it, but you'll have to get it soon, otherwise it may go to the devils (assholes) share.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Truckinbutch »

RedwoodHillBilly wrote:
Truckinbutch wrote::thumbup: Thanks for the introduction . I hope the three of you build a beautiful and lasting relationship .
HUH?

Nice job JBC. Let's see what kind of whiskey it'll make. BTW, I can't keep my paws off of the last make, and damn it's pretty good. Hopefully there will be some left next time you're over. I put away a 750mL bottle with your name on it, but you'll have to get it soon, otherwise it may go to the devils (assholes) share.
It does make it difficult to make new friends when what you make tastes so good that you can't stay out of it long enough to share .
You are not alone in that .
He named the boiler and thumper and he is engaging in a threesome . I hope it is good for all of them .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Kareltje »

Good looking couple!
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

RedwoodHillBilly wrote:
Truckinbutch wrote::thumbup: Thanks for the introduction . I hope the three of you build a beautiful and lasting relationship .
HUH?

Nice job JBC. Let's see what kind of whiskey it'll make. BTW, I can't keep my paws off of the last make, and damn it's pretty good. Hopefully there will be some left next time you're over. I put away a 750mL bottle with your name on it, but you'll have to get it soon, otherwise it may go to the devils (assholes) share.
Cartoons were a big part of my childhood. Maybe Ursula is why redheads always turn my head.
Here is Ursula with George.
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George always called Ursula "Fella".
Too far? TMI?

Wow! Honey bear whiskey for white oak. I think I'm getting the better part of this deal!
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

Actually rye bourbon, HBB isn't ready yet.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Shine0n »

Very Nice Indeed!
Now you have a new toy to play with the turf Jimy sent ya.
Enjoy, Shine0n
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Thanks ShineOn:
It's even better now. Redwood Hillbilly had a 4" ferrule and he cut a hole in the top and sweat it on for me. Now I can use it for mashing and fermenting also.
IMG_0808.JPG
And yes now I have to smoke my grains. :D
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by LWTCS »

Nice tight outfit.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by OtisT »

JellybeanCorncob wrote:Thanks ShineOn:
It's even better now. Redwood Hillbilly had a 4" ferrule and he cut a hole in the top and sweat it on for me. Now I can use it for mashing and fermenting also.
IMG_0808.JPG
And yes now I have to smoke my grains. :D
JBC
Nice layout. Is that 4" Port working out for you for cleaning? ( can you get your arm in there?). I just cut the top of a new 1/2bbl keg and welded on a 6" ferrule to it, and I am using a 6"-2" plate reducer so I only have the one hole on top. I was considering something a bit smaller, but wanted the extra clearance to get my arm all the way down in there. As it is, I only cut the hole to 5 1/2" and butt welded the ferrule, so I could weld both sides of the ferrule from the outside and get a sanitary weld.

Do you have ports in the lower section of the boiler, for element or drain? If so, were you able to make a sanatary weld inside through that 4" hold. (If so, your welder is a god.) You plan to use as a fermenter, so wondering if you considered this.

I'm still trying to figure out how best to weld my heat element and drain ports. ( Any advice would be greatly appreciated) I have not cut/welded my lower ports yet, as I'm not sure how I will address the sanitary weld. I tried and could not see well enough through the 5.5" hole to weld inside the boiler. I am thinking of a similar butt weld for my lower ferrules, again so I can do two welds from the outside, then simply grinding out/polishing any high spots inside the ferrule. I think I will need short ferrules to weld inside the 2" and 1.5" ferrules I have planned. I may end up with two (2) two inch ferrules, as that 1.5" ferrule is a bit tight for my MIG tip. (I'm just learning to TIG weld, but am not there yet.)
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by BoomTown »

most excellent! very shiny too.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Yummyrum »

Great job jellybeen :thumbup:
Love the pics too .
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Thanks Guys: I'm already falling for Ursula. She's had some enhancements and now she's a bombshell!
Can't wait to turn her on. :P :lol:
Otis: the 4" port is plenty big enough to get my arm in for cleaning. I run propane so a port isn't needed for an element. Down the road I may put one in the side for a thermometer but for now I'll go with one that has a long tempature rod end and use the 2" port at the top. Now I did not have the 4" port tig-welded. Redwood Hillbilly showed me how to silver solder the port on. He turned me on to a product called stay bright 8. It's just like regular solder but it contains stainless steal in it. Redwood can do a better job of explaining it to you. Redwood? It makes a solid bond and it can be used for SS and copper sweating. If I do put a Ferrule in the side I will silver solder it like the 4" one. Everything I have is 2 inch except the 4" port I'll use for adding grains when mashing and then to dump them when done. And I'll use it to clean out. I found out the hard way when I bought 1 and 1/2 inch copper that the ferrules aren't as plentiful and easy to get as the 2" ones. About a $75 mistake. No mixups or fumbiling around with different size tri-clamps or gaskets also. But that's just me.
Can't wait to fire up my new setup. This combo is going to make my distilling life much easer and efficient.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

JellybeanCorncob wrote:Redwood Hillbilly showed me how to silver solder the port on. He turned me on to a product called stay bright 8. It's just like regular solder but it contains stainless steal in it. Redwood can do a better job of explaining it to you. Redwood?
JBC
Harris Stay-Brite8 is a silver bearing solder. 6% Ag, 94% Sn. You should use Harris Stay-Clean flux. This is a liquid flux, primarily Ammonium chloride, Zinc chloride & Hydrocloric acid. The combination will solder all ferrous metals and most others. For our application, it solders SS and Cu in any combination.

It makes a pretty strong joint, and the heat required to solder it won't anneal copper or sugar SS. You can get a sanitary joint with it. Not exactly cheap but easy to use. I cut my holes to the inner diameter of the ferrules. I happen to have carbide cutters in 1 7/8", 2 7/8", and 3 7/8". That is why it was easy to do JBC's keg. Also, I use kapton tape as a solder mask to try and keep the solder joint neat.

[edit: spelling]
Last edited by RedwoodHillBilly on Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

See. Way better explanation than I could ever do. :thumbup:
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Jimy Dee »

JBC - sorry for not chiming in earlier, as you know I have been involved in other projects in the last few weeks and have been absent from HD.

Your rig looks class, a really nice job. In my opinion there is no comparison between a pot versus a pot and thumper. The latter is superior by a distance. The copper looks really well and it looks very well made.

The port hole is also a really good asset for steam stripping.
Nothing stopping you
1. putting water into the pot and
2. putting into your thumper the grains/slop that was not fully squeezed after fermentation (plus some water or strip). But use the port hole for the thumper in this set up as it will assist you in putting in and taking out the grains/slop.

Your rig opens up a wide array of methods for making likker. May you have many happy hours stillin with it under those fab redwoods - you lucky jellybean !

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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

Jimy, I'm trying to convince JBC to try they procedure that I use. That is, mash in the thumper, then ferment in the thumper. When done move the clear beer to the boiler and use it to steam strip the slop that remains in the thumper. The advantage that I've found is 1) no squeezing, 2) you only touch the grains when you add them to mash and when you clean, 3) I believe that you get more flavor carryover by stripping on the grain, and 4) no possibility of a scorch.

It may not be the best procedure, but it works a treat for me.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

RedwoodHillBilly wrote:Jimy, I'm trying to convince JBC to try they procedure that I use. That is, mash in the thumper, then ferment in the thumper. When done move the clear beer to the boiler and use it to steam strip the slop that remains in the thumper. The advantage that I've found is 1) no squeezing, 2) you only touch the grains when you add them to mash and when you clean, 3) I believe that you get more flavor carryover by stripping on the grain, and 4) no possibility of a scorch.
I'm convinced.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by OtisT »

RedwoodHillBilly wrote:Jimy, I'm trying to convince JBC to try they procedure that I use. That is, mash in the thumper, then ferment in the thumper. When done move the clear beer to the boiler and use it to steam strip the slop that remains in the thumper. The advantage that I've found is 1) no squeezing, 2) you only touch the grains when you add them to mash and when you clean, 3) I believe that you get more flavor carryover by stripping on the grain, and 4) no possibility of a scorch.

It may not be the best procedure, but it works a treat for me.
That does sound like a treat. Cool process. :-)
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Jimy Dee »

JBC - just go for it. Redwood Hill Billy is onto something there. The big thing is that you have choices and so strip followed by spirit runs. The spirit runs really clean a product up. In a spirit run with strip in both pot and thumper (both diluted down to under 30%ABV) you almost get 3 distillations. Let us know how she runs for you. Jimy
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Kareltje »

RedwoodHillBilly wrote:Jimy, I'm trying to convince JBC to try they procedure that I use. That is, mash in the thumper, then ferment in the thumper. When done move the clear beer to the boiler and use it to steam strip the slop that remains in the thumper. The advantage that I've found is 1) no squeezing, 2) you only touch the grains when you add them to mash and when you clean, 3) I believe that you get more flavor carryover by stripping on the grain, and 4) no possibility of a scorch.

It may not be the best procedure, but it works a treat for me.
Yes, but when one grain is fermenting in the thumper, I can not use it for other stuff to be thumped. For example fruitmashes or other grains or rums.

One thing that stands though: a thumper is a very fine piece of equipment!! :thumbup: :clap:
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

Kareltje wrote:
RedwoodHillBilly wrote:Jimy, I'm trying to convince JBC to try they procedure that I use. That is, mash in the thumper, then ferment in the thumper. When done move the clear beer to the boiler and use it to steam strip the slop that remains in the thumper. The advantage that I've found is 1) no squeezing, 2) you only touch the grains when you add them to mash and when you clean, 3) I believe that you get more flavor carryover by stripping on the grain, and 4) no possibility of a scorch.

It may not be the best procedure, but it works a treat for me.
Yes, but when one grain is fermenting in the thumper, I can not use it for other stuff to be thumped. For example fruitmashes or other grains or rums.

One thing that stands though: a thumper is a very fine piece of equipment!! :thumbup: :clap:
Build bigger or more of them :)

I strip right into my spirit still, then start another mash in the thumper. My spirit still is a simple pot still. I have a dedicated boiler for the MFT (mash tun/fermenter/thumper) so the 2 work together to make low wines for the spirit still.

For JBC, that's not the case but it depends on how much time you have and what your needs are.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Shine0n »

source another keg to always keep one open or for back to back runs then clear one out and use for the spirit run, simple ain't it. lol
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Jimy Dee »

JBC - ShineOn knows his stuff, he was there from the beginning for me and always gives me buckets of help and assistance and he is my go-to guy for thumper advice.
You will have to let us know how she runs and what the spirit tastes like.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

ShineOn: That's a good idea. I'll keep my eye out for one. For now I'm gonna do one ferment at a time. Before I was using 6 gallon buckets and heating my water on the stove. Now mashing and fermenting is done in one pot. If I feel the need to do more mashes I can always use the buckets. I've only just run vinagar threw her. Boy was she loud at first. Then she settled into a nice purr. Can't wait to do my first mash/ferment/strip run with her.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Shine0n »

I went to a feed supply store and bought a 30 gallon brute for storing grains and it's my favorite fermenter, it's clear enough to see the level of what ever is in it.

It let's me ferment 25 gallons at the time, the I put 12 or so in the pot and 10 in the thumper and then I'm off and running, the 4" port will make it easier for the grains in and out no doubt.

I have a 40 gallon pot I found at the swap meet I put a 1" weldless bulkhead fitting in and I use that for my boiling of water for my AG mashes. It's elevated to all I do is drain into the brute and mix with a drill, cover and keep check on the pH and temp, all I make really make of AG is HBB because it's sooooo Freaking delicious but it has a simple mashing protocol and is great white or oak aged.

Also there is advantages of steaming fruits and botanical to impart flavors.

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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Shine0n »

I forgot to mention, I went to a boating supply store and bought an electric drill pump and it works with my cordless drill.
Great way to transfer the clear from the top of the grains but you got to watch it because it's a small unit with a rubber impeller that will clog easily if you suck a mess of grains in it but will let pass a piece or 2 without issues.
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

ShineOn: I like the inline pump idea. We have a couple of chandlerys near by. I'll see what they have.
So I think for now I'm going to work with what I have and see how it goes. 15 gallon washes are going to be my limit for now. The last whiskey I made was HBB. It's been on oak for 3 months. I had a dram the other night and it blew me away. I'll try and stay out of it till it's a year old but it is soo good. My first mash will be HBB in my new rig.

So Jimy? What have you been up to? Anything special? :ewink: :shh:
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Re: Boiler and new Thumper

Post by Pikey »

JellybeanCorncob wrote:ShineOn: I like the inline pump idea. We have a couple of chandlerys near by. I'll see what they have. ........
I'd keep away from "Boaty shops" if I were you - pretty much the only people who charge more than Home brew shops and stillin' shops - are "Boaty shops " - Find what you want there - then find an equivalent in the real world :wink: :D
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