Thumper Use

[BIGBIRD123]

I am adding a thumper to one of my stills. I am running 3/4" from the still to the thumper and 3/4" out so that I can use a 2" ferrule at the thumper connection. Can I use a 3/4" x 2" reducer to put a small boka on top of the thumper?

Here is a rough sketch...

[White_Lightning_Rod]

Ive never done any testing myself, but I would think especially with a reflux head over a thumper you would want pretty close to the same size coming into the thumper as was coming out to your bok. I think 3/4 would be a little small to transfer enough heat to the thumper to run the bok properly. I could be completely wrong just my opinion. Putting a reflux head on a thumper has been done, look up Jarhead Shiners, CCVM which is mounted on a thump. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=46563&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[BIGBIRD123]

I forgot to state that I also have an 110v 1500w element in the thumper as well to help with the heat issue...

[bearriver]

The 3/4" seems big enough so that it wouldn't clog. It would have a much faster vapor velocity traveling through it, but I don't see how that would be a good or bad thing.

It looks functional to me. I think Jarheadshiner made something very similar to this...

I wouldn't put a reducer on the column however.

[BIGBIRD123]

The reducer is to go from the 3/4" coming out of the thumper to open it up for the boka...

[bearriver]

The reducer is to go from the 3/4" coming out of the thumper to open it up for the boka...

That's what I'm suggesting not to do. Why not instead use a 15.5 gal or smaller sanke keg for the thumper? You can attach the 2" column to the keg thumper with no reduction of diameter. The 2" sanke fitting will work well with triclamp fittings. You just need to sand the gasket on one side to be flush against the ferrule.

The reduction in diameter will increase the traveling vapor's velocity. That should often be avoided wherever possible in a reflux setup. This is another reason I have grown to dislike the idea of centering rings.

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

I don't get it! Why have a thumper if you are using a bokakob??? Won't the refluxing from the boka just strip the flavor profile, and simply start filling up the thumper?

I guess if the thumper is big enough, it wouldn't be a problem of flooding out the thumper, but I still don't see the point of it all.

[LWTCS]

The thumper in this config is not meant to produce the pot stilled variety of product as such.
The thumper in the line up is meant to reduce temps entering the column so that good column behavior is more stable .
It is meant to increase production without compromising purity.

[LWTCS]

Also there is anecdotal evidence that the extra liquid has a smoothing quality.
But thats prolly just crazy talk?

[jarheadshiner]

Also there is anecdotal evidence that the extra liquid has a smoothing quality.
But thats prolly just crazy talk?

BLASPHEMY!

Honestly I have no idea if there are any smoothing qualities or not.

I just tried it for the hell of it and because of others success using inline thumpers (Larry). Large plates also seem to work well (PP). For some reason the traditional thumper setup I use has been met with some... well let's say scrutiny.

I have had no issue with it whatsoever. It may be overkill, pointless, misguided... but it works.

To the OP... I agree with bearriver in saying that you should avoid the restriction entering the column. LWTCS is correct (as usual) in his advice as well.

Oh and I am piped from boiler to thumper (both 15.5 gallon kegs) with 2" including the down/dip/whatever the hell ya call it tube.

[BIGBIRD123]

Here is a revised picture of what I am trying to put together...tell me what you think

[rad14701]

I see two potential problems right from the start... The thumper is going to fill up with watered down reflux... The packed column will be hit with pulsating surges of vapor that could negatively alter the performance of the packed column section...

[BIGBIRD123]

Then would it be best to just use a potstill on the top of the thumper in the manner i have drawn?

[jarheadshiner]

Try it BB. If it doesn't perform well with the boka you can always use it with the pot still head. You may want to put an overfill return back to the boiler or use another keg the same size as your boiler.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[BIGBIRD123]

Will this placement for the overflow work?

[OBX Phantom]

Let's call this what it really is... Two boilers feeding one reflux column. The only thing that should be on the output side of a thumper is your product condenser.

Also a thumper doesn't have a heat source, Your heat comes from the POT STILL head that you attach to your boiler.

If you want a reflux still then forget about a thumper. The reflux of a reflux head will do way more filtering than the thumper will ever do, That's why you are able to achieve azeotrope with it, and not a thumper.

There is no need to over complicate things!!!...

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

[BIGBIRD123]

I've pretty much ditched the reflux idea and will go with a pothead... I mean potstill...if it doesn't work, then I'll have a small boiler to use as well...

[jarheadshiner]

I've pretty much ditched the reflux idea and will go with a pothead... I mean potstill...if it doesn't work, then I'll have a small boiler to use as well...

If you are just gonna use it for a pot still then you don't need the overfill. I actually overlooked the element you are showing in the thumper and that is not needed in either case... pot or reflux.

Did not figure you would get much positive feedback on the thumper/reflux setup. I like it, but it is different, therefore wrong.

[BIGBIRD123]

I just wanted to try something I felt hadn't been tried before and I figured there would be negative feedback...I however am not afraid of a challenge, so I might see if I can make it work. I put the element in the thumper for preheat at start-up...it will not run continuously at the same principal of the two elements in the boiler and turning one off during the run...it might not work...but it just might...

[Truckinbutch]

Take a chance , Columbus did

[jarheadshiner]

Well I only have my personal experience (which is very limited with reflux stills) and conversations with others on the matter to share with you but I will give you my thoughts on the matter.

Like I said before I can only comment on my personal setup because I do not like to theorize or assume how another rig will perform. I strip my washes with my pot still and thumper before I run my column. I run a charge of roughly 12 gallons of 40% abv in the boiler and a gallon or maybe slightly more in the thumper. After fore and heads I can takeoff 3 liters of azeotrope an hour.

The thumper as a plate is really insignificant because I have roughly 55 inches of lava rock packed 2" column. What is significant is that I have a large void in the thumper that the vapor accumulates in and enters the column at a slower speed, large amount, and high abv. This large source of vapor is what I believe makes the column more stable and efficient.

I initially built the thumper to run with my pot still but built a column at the same time. If I was building a reflux rig from scratch I would have not even considered it. If I build a larger diameter reflux column in the future, I would not consider trying it without it.

So if you wanna build a thumper... do it. I have no idea if the smaller thumper will increase performance of the reflux, but I highly doubt it will decrease it... so try it. If you have access to another 15.5 gal keg, use it (no overfill return needed), and compare.

Good luck

[S-Cackalacky]

For a pot still thumper that's a pretty neat design, but how difficult will it be to reduce from 2" to 3/4" and make a 90 degree turn inside a 2X2X2 Tee fitting? Have you worked that out yet?

[T-Pee]

Take a chance , Columbus did

Yeah, and now look.

tp

[bearriver]

I'm for it. I would do it a different way, but hey. That's the beauty of it. If it doesn't work how you want it to, that doesn't mean you failed by any stretch of the imagination. It just means you need to fix your design and try, try again.

Go forth and build it. Just remember to come back with results and pictures, no matter how it comes out. Please?

[BIGBIRD123]

For a pot still thumper that's a pretty neat design, but how difficult will it be to reduce from 2" to 3/4" and make a 90 degree turn inside a 2X2X2 Tee fitting? Have you worked that out yet?

I have already built that part and it looks pretty sweet...it is at my partner's house where we have room to do all the things necessary for these builds and a conglomeration of both of our tools...I will be sure and get some pictures posted tomorrow evening...I think you will like the way it turned out...the cool part was getting the downtube of the thumper down and under the element...

[S-Cackalacky]

Can you explain how you got the 3/4" intake pipe through the Tee with the reducer? I've been trying to figure out how to use a single port connection for a new thumper and be able to move my pot still head from the boiler to the thumper in a modular way. Your way of doing it would be ideal if it can be done without much complication.

[BIGBIRD123]

It is actually a 2"x1-1/2"x2" Tee. I used a 2"x1-1/4" reducer the go into the Tee, then a 1"x3/4" reducer fits into that. I used a 3/4" female x 3/4" male elbow to make the turn down in the center of the Tee. I know this explanation may not get the point across but the pictures tomorrow will because it all worked out perfectly...it was pretty simple.

[S-Cackalacky]

No, that's good enough explanation and I'm looking forward to the pictures. Just couldn't wrap my mind around how you got a reducer inside the Tee.

[BIGBIRD123]

Here are the pictures as promised...







and the downcomer..



What ya think? I'll take some pix of the boka on it tomorrow...