Thumper options

[jon1163]

So I'll be doing a Spirit Run of about 15 gallons of 40% Honey Bear bourbon strips. Stripping runs were done with mash slop in the thumper and clear beer in the boiler. This will be my first time using a thumper with a bourbon run and I know that this topic has been covered quite a bit but I just want to see if I'm in the ballpark with what I've read so far.

Charging the thumper;
1. Water - lower ABV, cleans up the taste (less flavor?)
2. Backseat - no idea what this will do. More flavor lower ABV?
3. Low wines - more abv, different flavor
4. A mix of some of the above (like backseat mixed with low wines)

Those are pretty much the options I'll consider for this run. I know you can charge the supper with any sort of flavor you want but I don't really want to do that for a nice bourbon.

All this will be going into a Big 5 gallon Balcones Barrel.

If any of the above is incorrect please correct me and set me straight. I'd also like to hear your input on what you think I should do with this.

[Kareltje]

Supposing your backset is void of alcohol, the %ABV of the product will be the same as that with water.
And I don't see what you mean with a mixture: you want to mix backset, water and mash?

The %ABV of the product also depends on the rate of filling of the thumper: a smaller amount of filling gives a higher %ABV.
So: You forgot the option of an empty thumper. That will result in a higher %ABV.

If I were in your place/when I was in your situation, I did a spirit run without the thumper, so with a small column or in pot still mode. After all: you want taste, not only high alcohol.

[goose eye]

On some outfits if you don't put nothin in your doublein keg an it ain't built for it then it turns into
a puker til it do then it ain't. Ain't no way to condence enough to start.

So I'm tole

[MichiganCornhusker]

I just use water.
I don’t have much experience with other options.

I feel like the water cleans up the whiskey a bit and raises the abv.

As goose eye says, if you don’t charge the thumper with something it isn’t going to thump.

[Kareltje]

I just use water.
I don’t have much experience with other options.

I feel like the water cleans up the whiskey a bit and raises the abv.

The cleaning seems likely, but the raising of the abv I doubt. Is the abv coming from the thumper raised compared to the abv coming from the boiler? Or is the abv from the thumper raised when filled with water compared when filled with wash?

As goose eye says, if you don’t charge the thumper with something it isn’t going to thump.

Not until the inlet pipe of the thumper is submerged in condensate.

[goose eye]

Ain't sure bout your outfit but what causein it to condence in your doublein keg? If you inlet 1 inch off bottom cut at a 45 that vapor gonna speed by til it hit your condenser.
How your outfit dealing with it. Air? Wet towel?
Course the ole boys ain't ever cooked a drip outfit.

So I'm tole

[Kareltje]

Ain't sure bout your outfit but what causein it to condence in your doublein keg? If you inlet 1 inch off bottom cut at a 45 that vapor gonna speed by til it hit your condenser.
How your outfit dealing with it. Air? Wet towel?
Course the ole boys ain't ever cooked a drip outfit.

So I'm tole

The thumper and the air in it is cold, so I suppose the vapour will condens in the thumper. Until it is hot enough to vaporize the contents again.

But you've got a point of thought! I will try if it works that way.
Not only think by myself!

[Kareltje]

But again: if I wanted to get some taste, I would do the spirit run without the thumper. Just with a pot still or at most a simple column.

[goose eye]

Why you think you can't get flavers an scent to carry over with a doublein keg?
A doublein keg is a swiss army knife if you let it be.
Ole boys don't much on why's but they know will.
Course that's only on some ways of Cookin.

Luck to you

So I'm tole

[Tater]

Would count to me on what size still ya have and thumper and mash as to how Id run it. I did a grain mash this way last year. With mine viewtopic.php?f=14&t=62008&p=7464977#p7464977

[LWTCS]

If you're (ever) preoccupied with keeping your abv as high as possible for the duration, can plumb a liebig type (or any type of tube in shell) condenser onto your vapor inlet to allow the thumper to self fill.

Just thinkin out loud is all.

[jon1163]

Would count to me on what size still ya have and thumper and mash as to how Id run it. I did a grain mash this way last year. With mine viewtopic.php?f=14&t=62008&p=7464977#p7464977

15.5 keg and 8 gallon keg thumper

[Tater]

were using same size then

[Kareltje]

I just use water.
I don’t have much experience with other options.

I feel like the water cleans up the whiskey a bit and raises the abv.

As goose eye says, if you don’t charge the thumper with something it isn’t going to thump.

I answered this post before, but I stand corrected.

Some water or mash in the thumper might indeed result in a higher abv in the end. The high alcoholic vapour from the boiler condenses in the thumper, adds to the alcohol in the fluid and then to the alcohol in the vapour.
About the taste I do not know.

I did a run today with an empty thumper, just to check goose eye's statement.
At first the vapour from the boiler seemed to be pushed through the thumper right to the condenser.
But apparently there was some condensation in the thumper, for after some time the sound of burping proved the thumper started to work. And it went on during the remainder of the run.

For this experiments or uses a smaller thumper is maybe useful.
But is is easier to use a large thumper where a small one would suffice, than to use a small thumper where a large one is needed.

[Antler24]

Jon I use the same rig as you. I always put feints from previous run in the thumper, usually with few gallons of wash, or "slops" left in the bottom of the fermenter. I love the flavour from the single runs.

[jon1163]

Jon I use the same rig as you. I always put feints from previous run in the thumper, usually with few gallons of wash, or "slops" left in the bottom of the fermenter. I love the flavour from the single runs.

In another thread I think everyone on home distiller kind of agreed that feints meant just tails. You mean just tails?

[LWTCS]

Feints more like what ever you ain't keepin as keeper .

[jon1163]

Thanks for the help everyone