WHY BUILD A THUMPER?

[BentJar]

Our hobby stills have become wonderful spirit producers as we can control all the necessary functions of distilling alcohol. The LM, VM, and CM combo stills produce the best sprits on the planet today.
We have come to the place where they are compact, safe and cool as hell to look at. So, why would anyone want to hang a thumper set up on one of these stills? In my opinion, they aint needed, they complicate the system, and create more work for the operator with something else plume in ,, manage and worry about.
What comes off my still don't need no re-distilling or cleaning up so why bother with a thumper.

I understand the reason for one on a old pot still heated by a wood fire that you cant control and puking when heated too much. That's the reason folks made them to start with, you don't want puke in the collection jar.
So if someone can give me a good reason for a thumper, jump in here and educate me.

[new distiller]

People put thumpers on reflux stills? I'm with you on this one.... Why?

[Buteo]

A slobber box is used to catch puking not a thumper but I agree it is not needed on a reflux setup.

[LWTCS]

People put thumpers on reflux stills? I'm with you on this one.... Why?

A couple different reasons.
One of which involves shifting as much alcohol as possible out of the primary boiler prior to collecting.
But these are not old school retorts. They have been modified to manage overflow that has been induced by the forced reflux.

[shadylane]

I primarily run a pot still with a thumper. This combination is very versatile.
The thumper has a drain back to the pot and a sight glass for monitoring the liquid level.
The output has a 2-1/2' tri-clamp feral. Useful for attaching such things as my column and/or a reflux condenser.
During stripping runs the thumper is used for a puke box. Try using a column for a puke box and you will understand.
With a reflux condenser attached the thumper is a big single plate and the liquid level is adjustable.
With the column mounted it will make an almost neutral at a steady stream in one pass.
But I don't like a neutral spirit.
Why build a thumper?
It can be used many ways, to make many different spirits.
It gives me an 2nd distillation for free, while lowering the demands on the product condenser.
And if I want, the thumper is great for feeding a column.

[granddad]

hey bent jar we all have our own thing . thumpers work for some of us an we are all on this forum to to learn .and share info and experience.. so if you have a 2'' sanitary flange pm me I will offer to let you try my inline thumper for a run and or I have a buddy who has a local distillery that we can meet at and compare notes>
thanks Granddad

[BentJar]

Thanks for the kind offer there granddad, but my still wont accept a thumper without major work. It produces 92% if run slow, that's almost rocket fuel. I like the taste of corn and barley.
Just seems like a waste of time and money to design something like that when its not needed. When you are new to distilling, there is much more to learn than where to put a thumper, seems to me. You see new guys in here all the time
drawing up still plans with thumpers on them.

[S-Cackalacky]

I'm wondering how many here actually use a thumper with a reflux still. I can understand how it could be theoretically used by attaching the column to the outtake of the thumper, but it seems that it would be overkill or not worth the effort. But then, I could be wrong.

I do see the advantages for using a thumper with a pot still. It can eliminate the need for doing stripping followed by spirit runs - basically accomplishing the two runs in one. It can boost the output ABV by 10 to 15 percent. It can be used to somewhat clean the flavor of the distillate by charging with water. It can be used to infuse flavors by adding a flavor component to the thumper charge. If I wanted to make a vodka using a pot still, I could probably do it in half the number of reruns by using a thumper. There are many reasons to use a thumper with a pot still.

S-C

[shadylane]

A thumper can be driven hard and fast or slow and easy.
A column has a limited range of input power it can operate with.
A thumper can catch puke, a column can't.
A column must have a reflux condenser and all the plumbing that goes with it.
A thumper can sit below, next to or above the pot.
Most columns are attached to the top of the pot, requiring disassembly in order to recharge the pot.

[Halfbaked]

People put thumpers on reflux stills? I'm with you on this one.... Why?

A couple different reasons.
One of which involves shifting as much alcohol as possible out of the primary boiler prior to collecting.
But these are not old school retorts. They have been modified to manage overflow that has been induced by the forced reflux.

Zero experience with a thump but this makes it perfectly clear.

[Usge]

A traditional thumper will add a few points abv to your run and flatten/even out the abv curve somewhat depending upon what you are running...giving you a bit more consistency in the middle in regards to abv. But, the "big" difference in regards to using one, vs just adding some sort of forced reflux, is that because the vapor is bubbling through the liquid, it offers numerous possibilities for "flavoring" your distillate.

You can run water, corn, fruit, spices, mash, low-wines, feints and/or any combo of the above in your thumper. Gooseye once alluded to the fact that "ole boys" used to set it up to be able to add different things, at different times during the run...but never elaborated further....what can I say, he's a man of few words.

Running a rig with just straight forced reflux and/or packing can jack the proof/purity level, and give you more control over that during run, but doesn't have the same opportunity for flavoring. Running a flute or small plated column would offer somewhat more in that the vapor is bubbling through more liquid volume at various stages/levels AND you have control over forced reflux, etc., but still does not offer (at this level, or at our level) the same attributes or capabilities for running different liquids/substances on the plates for influencing flavors that running a thumper does.

I would add, there "are" ways to add reflux capabilities...including forced reflux, to a thumper setup as well. (see LWTCS in-line "Humper Thumper"). I've seen older designs (over a century old) that use wrapped/coils or liebigs on the output tube of the thumper before the product condenser to act as a "passgate". But, again, the main point is...the main attribute of the thumper is in regards to it influence over flavor — there are easier ways to just get higher abv if that's all you are after.

[ohyeahyeah]

Because they make a better tasting product if you aren't after a neutral.

A lot of good reasons have been mentioned, for me the most important was brought up by usage, that it flattens the curve,imo without negatively effecting the product taste/quality like a plated column seems to. If you are pot stilling a higher percentage sugar wash or double running an all grain or brandy the thumper will give you a rock steady abv through the majority of your heads and hearts over just running the pot alone where in my experience it is a constant fall from start to finish.

[Old Man Bakke]

So why don't commercialized brands of boozes use thumpers in their production?

[jog666]

So why don't commercialized brands of boozes use thumpers in their production?

My guess would be volume & time needed to "restart" a pot setup vs a continuous still.

[Saltbush Bill]

So why don't commercialized brands of boozes use thumpers in their production?

They do , Google "Rum Stills" Lots of examples out there,
or look at the link below.
http://rumaniacs.com/Public/PagesImages/PureS1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow