Good day to all, so I'm trying a new thumper design (at least new to me) as there is nothing new under the sun. I was hoping some here with years of practical working knowledge might chime in with some thoughts and ideas.
Previously I ran the thumper with out this new attachment I am rigging up. As I was dragging out all my old copper and putting things together I realized a spare piece which had been cut off when we built the column fit very snugly (good slip fitting) right over the sanke fitting. (I still need to go to the plumbing supply house for an end cap for the top) They take good care of me as I like to bring some pints to share with them when I shop!
My thoughts are I could use it as a type of basket that could be packed with various things for experimentation. We could put a basket in it for adding flavors, or pack it with copper scrubbies to re-condense the vapors for a little higher proof. Anyways I love trying new things and this looks like a great idea to add a little something more to work with.
Any advice or thoughts you might have are appreciated.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately....
and see if I could learn what it had to teach."
- Henry David Thoreau
If this picture is how you would run this I don't see it helping much. I have only played with botanicals for essential oils. That said unless your riser from the boiler is small, so you run for 12 hours I can't see passive condensation removing a lot of flavors from your column. If you attach your output from your thumper putting it inline would work better. Throw a valve on that it would make a good charge port though.
Thanks VERY Much for your pointers. Yes, it's just mocked up for ideas. I shall proceed with caution slowly. As you say, I have always seen that inline set up for such a purpose.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately....
and see if I could learn what it had to teach."
- Henry David Thoreau
I don’t think you’ll get much out of it, to be honest. It won’t hurt, other than being a waste of money and materials.
The vapor flow will largely bypass the stub, especially if it’s packed and thus has significant restrictions to flow. Think about it this way. When you start, it’s full of air. The only way it’s going to do anything at all is if you can get the air out and replace it with alcohol vapor, and then you have to get that vapor out and replace it with more. As you’ve mocked it up, that stub of pipe is a dead end and there’s nothing to encourage flow through it. You ought see a little something by diffusion, but that’s pretty slow.
If you want to use it as a gin basket, try running the vapor through the pipe, either in or out (out is probably easier.) or simply fill the thumper with whatever flavor enhancers you want to use.
Learn from the past, live in the present, change the future.
I also question the use of putting it inline with the output .
My thinking is that as a Pot and thumper , you will be most likely doing cuts , and as such the first 1/3 of what is collected will be relegated to foreshot /heads cut . So any infused botanicals will be wasted .
However , once you are into hearts cut , you could perhaps use that 2” port to add botanicals down into the thumper , then they would be coming out with the hearts .
Mind you , you would need to be careful as it would release a lot of hot alc vapour when you opened it . (Burn and fire risk)
Be best to kill heat to boiler first , but that will create a vacuum that will suck contents of thumper back unless you break the connection between pot and thumper just after killing heat to break the vacuum .
Doubt it'll work. Even if you put the basket inline and run vapor through it, you'll lose what little flavor comes out of the mini "gin basket" in your foreshots. You could run parallel lyne arms coming from thumper, with the basket on one arm. You'd also need a "one arm or the other valve" so you could collect foreshots and heads then switch to basket arm to flavor your hearts. But be careful. If you align the valve wrong or it happens to get stuck with both arms closed, you're talking about a bomb!
If it's got hide or hair, I can ride it.
Wheels or tracks, I can drive it.
Rotor or fixed wings, I can fly it.
And if it's grain or fruit, i can make a drop outta it!
I really appreciate all you guys giving me your thoughts on this mock up I posted. I'm sure now I won't waste any time as it is, but think I will just cut it down and use it as an access port.
Why reinvent the wheel when it works great as it is already nice and round!
Cheerio fellow decanters, your thoughts and experience are very helpful as I continue the journey of distillation.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately....
and see if I could learn what it had to teach."
- Henry David Thoreau
You could add a valve at the base. Once your heads have past you could add your flavor materials and not expose yourself to any hot vapor. More delicate flavors you could add to a Carterhead before your condenser.
