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Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 8:40 am
by LWTCS
That would be a nice windfall Barney.
The thing that is a bit confusing is that all the little thumpers where charged with equal amounts of water.

When I get around to mounting the dog dish upon the tower, I asume the liquid ratio at the end of the run will favor more remaining liquid in the top stage thumper.

OD, I did pick up some fittings to make a little 2" to 1.5" adapter with a union. So now I can mount these pieces any number of ways.

S-n-S I can get 87 for sure with a low wine charge. If I charge all chambers with a 40 percent chargen I recon 88 seems achievable,,,,,,I think.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 3:19 pm
by olddog
LWTCS wrote:OD, I did pick up some fittings to make a little 2" to 1.5" adapter with a union. So now I can mount these pieces any number of ways.
This will allow the tower to be mounted directly to the boiler, then the level return from the bottom thumper will return to the boiler for re-distillation instead of accumulating in the humper.

With the humper you are getting theoretically a double distillation.
With the new tower attached directly to the boiler you are getting a theoretical quad distillation.
With the humper and the tower running you will be getting a theoretical 5 times distillation, but with the bottom chamber of the tower returning the self levelling to the humper it may cause the humper to puke if driven hard.

Its great to see the ABV you are getting, I think we lose sight of the ABV from a basic potstill.

OD

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 3:35 pm
by LWTCS
OD,
That's the thing about mounting the humper first in line. Definitely risk flooding. And I have proven that it will flood.

I will definitely charge the humper with a minimal amount of liquid when placing the tower atop. Especially when I put the dog dish into service. That is if I can fit it under my stilling area lid.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 4:04 pm
by LWTCS
I'd cry if I had to pull the Humper off the line. But I'd get get over it, as I still got plenty of 4" copper and lots of remaining space on my shop floor for solder.

I hope a controller will stop this insanity.

B_R_I_A_N>>>>>>>C+A+N Y_O_U BUILD ME A CONTROLLER NOW?

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 4:18 pm
by olddog
Instead of pulling the humper off, mount the new column on the spare keg, then you would have two stills. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 4:24 pm
by LWTCS
Not sure about 2 stills. It would feel like I was being unfaithful or some shit like that there.

Prolly just sell one for many thousands of monies. And there would be a guarantee that it would produce "pure rum". :mrgreen:

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 4:46 pm
by MuleKicker
L_A_R_R_Y>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I+H+A+V+E+I+T, W_I_L_L>T_E_S_T>T_H_I_S>W_E_E_K!! :lol:

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:00 pm
by LWTCS
Hey Mule.
Seriously, That would be awesome.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 5:32 pm
by LWTCS
This configuration after the Humper config.

Reduced the amount of yeast in the rum wash so it may be a while.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:03 pm
by Barney Fife
Dude! What are you using for a camera? Those are some insanely well-focused and huge photos! Nice...!

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 11:54 pm
by olddog
Just don't turn on that ceiling fan while your distilling.


OD

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 4:23 am
by LWTCS
I don't still at that spot OD.

I got a Canon camera. Bought it because it seemed to get the best view/more wide angle than the other choices available at the time.
U inspectin my joints Barney? :econfused: :D

Doin the best I can to keep the solder off the floor.
Should put that in my sig. :oops:

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 4:39 am
by Dnderhead
if your really loosing that much solder, what until it cools. melt ,add a drop of paraffin,skim, and pore into bars.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 5:35 am
by LWTCS
Oh I'm not that bad. I'm joking mostly cuz some of these fellers are really good.

Me,,,I get it to not leak and I'm generally satisfied.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 4:54 pm
by olddog
Have you done another run yet since the cleaning run? what was the result. :?:

OD

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 5:43 pm
by LWTCS
No. I have been waiting on the next rum batch to finish.

It is ready to rack now so I'll need to schedule around my missus not being here.

As a stand alone with a wash only charge, I am expecting that 82-83 would be the norm. With the Humper,,,,,,,,,, we will see if we can make it do gooder. And then the dog dish.

Got my controller from mulekicker, so I got alot of runs to do to find my sweet spot.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 6:58 pm
by LWTCS
Changed my mind and ran withe dog dish and no Humper.



Tell me thats not 89

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 7:22 pm
by rubber duck
Shit oh dear that got my attention. 8) 8)

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 7:23 pm
by LWTCS
Had company. Wasn’t gonna run, but I’d been planning this run for two weeks.

BS notes:
With the new controller
On 20% power (4.83 to 6.3 amps)
2 to 3 drips per second
86%
Painfully slow but not a bad start

On 40% power (9.03 to 11 amps)
Steady thin stream. 4 minutes to fill 200 ml.
75%
I am not impressed

On 60% power (13.6 to 15.4 amps)
3 minutes to fill 200 ml.
Good out put but low 65% ABV
Really not impressed

So now I open full flow to the dog dish condenser and crank power up to full.
I’m getting a small but good stream. My ABV jumps to 84%.

So now dinner is ready and the folks are pissed. So I drop the power down and leave the dogdish water wide open. Put the thing into 100% reflux. I go and gobble down dinner.(I know I know. Bad Bad and I am ready to be reprimanded)

Come back maybe 25 to 30 minutes later and crank the power to full blast and BOOM,,,,,,,,I I mean ta-dah. 89%.

These kinds of tools like to be pushed hard I recon.

Gotta evaluate the smell better tomarrow but that last bit smelled very fragrant. Not nuetural at all.

This was after I had already pulled 1500 to 1600 ml.


Also sprung a leak in my top fill port. Fix that tomarrow.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 7:27 pm
by olddog
Congratulations Larry, it looks like you have found the holy grail, I am hoping for similar results with the Magic Flute, I am just waiting for washes to finish.


OD

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 7:37 pm
by LWTCS
Frankly Mike, I was a little pissed. And in my mind started back tracking on retiring the Humper cuz I could get 83-84 all day long with a wash on full power with the Humper and dogdish.

Not sure about what to think about the reflux mode now. Thought it would strip too much flavor but my nose tells me different. Maybe because of my thumper juice it still has some fragrance?

Shit I may need to put a drain on the Humper and get the entire assembly in service.

Recon the reflux guys are wondering why I don't just build a column Ha ha heh.

Changed my mind on tonights set up because of our "Reflux mode" discussion from the other day.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 7:46 pm
by olddog
LWTCS wrote:Recon the reflux guys are wondering why I don't just build a column Ha ha heh.
But they do not get the takeoff speed, and they strip out all of the flavour.


OD

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 7:51 pm
by LWTCS
olddog wrote:
LWTCS wrote:Recon the reflux guys are wondering why I don't just build a column Ha ha heh.
But they do not get the takeoff speed, and they strip out all of the flavour.


OD
Zackley right.

Get the picture Lubie? That would be a "Crisp Flavor" potstilled profile.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 8:37 pm
by LWTCS
So now I'm thinking about (next run) taking fores and heads. Then putting her in reflux mode right off the top.

Lets see how much flavor and how long she can hold that ABV.

I'd appreciate any insight from the reflux gents as this is a bit new for me.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 8:50 pm
by Slow & Steady
That is some serious pot stillin Larry... 89% off of wash, and to still have flavor and nose... quite simply, you are a HD heavy weight!

All Hail Larry... King of the Thumpers

S&S

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 5:40 am
by LWTCS
That's funny S n S.

The ABV may just be an excersize in finding the ceiling. Not sure yet.

Smells good this moring but clearly not as rummy as the lower ABV take off for this run.

Gotta cut it and let it sleep I recon.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 1:06 pm
by MuleKicker
Larry, hows that controller workin fer ya? Sounds like your getting some decent results. Hope your tower works out for ya, looks good 8)

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 4:57 am
by LWTCS
Yestarday's run was a major let down as one of the joints from stainless to copper on the dog dish condenser kinda puckered, poped and let go. Friggin to much water to wrap a towel or three around.

Brought the still to temp kinda slow. Did not fill the dog dish yet as my plan was to take fores and heads. then put the thing in to 100% reflux mode for a good long while. But then the leak sprang.

Recon I have gotton used to test driving with a new little twist with each run. And having a blast doing so.

Had to drain down the dog dish and just do a regular uneventful slow run.

The controller is an awesome tool. Can really hear the thumper chambers working sweet on low setting.

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:10 pm
by olddog
I just did the first proper run with the Magic Flute. Just birdwatchers sugar wash, no heads or tails added.
007.JPG
I will raise you and call you :ebiggrin:
Nah I guess not quite, but I'm catching up quick. :mrgreen:


OD

Re: Thump Tower Concept

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:11 am
by LWTCS
How did you run it?