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So I'm close to starting my thumper build. My plans right now include a way to "shoot it" to add flavor after the heads. I've read about people doing this on here but its usually pretty vague. So do you guys do it? Is it worth plumbing in?What do you usually use to shoot with?

shoot it?

WooTeck wrote:shoot it?

Run your still like normal. Then after you are past the fores and heads, you kill the heat and add something to the thump for flavour. That way you don't lose flavour in the heads.

Goose eye prolly is the only one here qualified to offer instruction on this technique.
Hopefully he will chime.

ahh thats cool. makes sense now that i think about it

Never heard of the term "shoot it" before, but I've made some flavored vodka in a similar fashion.

I run the fores and heads, cut heat off and hook up the thumper.

If you cut heat with the thumper hooked up, you'll suck whatever is in the thumper back into the boiler. Not a huge deal in most cases, though I've seen copper boilers collapse from the vacuum.

Normally I'm adding coffee or fruit, etc as a way to flavor vodka, sometimes into the charge, others using a sort of false bottom (think of making the whole thumper into a gin basket) and occasionally both. I suppose you could use just about anything to add flavor though.

If you're making rum, whisky or another such spirit, using wash as your boiler charge is a good way to retain flavor while increasing abv%. You could probably run backset if you wanted, though I've never tried it.
I don't know how else you'd add flavor to something like whiskey, save for loading the thumper with charred oak.

Hopefully someone that's got more experience than I will chime in, as my knowledge of this process is pretty basic at best.

*I do recall seeing someone use a tray of sorts in their thumper to hold corn. Don't recall who or where I saw it.

Always a good idea to have a fill port on your boiler and thumper. Use them to "shoot it" - kill the heat, remove the caps from both fill ports (boiler and thumper), shoot the thumper, replace both fill port caps, and fire it back up. Removing the fill port cap on the boiler should prevent any vacuum problems.

There was also a thread a while back about building a valved chamber for this purpose. It was basically like a fill port on the thumper with two valves. open the top valve to pour the flavoring into a chamber, close the top valve, and then open the bottom valve to release the flavoring into the thumper. The idea was that you didn't need to shut the heat off to shoot the thumper.

I've been where they put a quart of maple syrup or cane juice in the thumper, but it was in there from the start.

I don't think the amount of flavor lost in the heads would be of much value. Certainly not justify a great expense to build it in.

However, if I wanted to add it in process, I would just drill a hole in the thumper and close with a wine cork.

DAD300 wrote: I don't think the amount of flavor lost in the heads would be of much value. Certainly not justify a great expense to build it in.

Flavor doesn't come over evenly during distillation. The more volatile a flavor is, the more will come over with the foreshot and heads. Whether, or not, it's worthwhile going to the trouble of plumbing for it depends on what you intend making.

If I had a thumper (I don't ) I would want to do exactly what you are trying to do. I would want a 15 gal keg as a boiler and a 15 gal keg as a thump. I would get a smaller keg to put my stuff in and a valve and turn it upside down so all I would had to do is open the valve. A chambered valve as mentioned above is what I would call it. If I used a DAD300 condencer on it I would just pour it in the top of the Tee and you have to buy nothing. Let us know what you do and how you like it.

After first learning about shooting the thumper, I did a bit of reading. The one big advantage I have heard they are good for is when doing runs which may have flavors that are hard to hold. Or as mentioned where a lot of flavor is lost to the heads such as with apples. There is a thread on "clear apple pie" where shooting the thumper seemed to be the best answer to do this, and has a lot of info about shooting as well.

My current plan is to use the single in/out design on a pony keg. I just want to put a second 2"tee below the one for my liebig, and have a small spot off that that I can cap to use as a fill port. You guys got me worried about not having a vent on my boiler now though....

And yes the apple pie thread I think is what inspired me to try this. ...well...that and goose.

I guess it would be good to note that I'm trying to avoid cutting on my kegs. Nit quite ready for that yet. And with the above mentioned idea I could use triclamps to make the second TEE removable if I don't need it for a particular run.

StillLearning1 wrote: And yes the apple pie thread I think is what inspired me to try this. ...well...that and goose.

Likewise. I always wanted a thumper so I can stop "double and twistin" so much and start "single footin". But that thread really set a fire under my ass to get a thumper going. The clear apple pie sounds like something to work on.

moosemilk wrote:

StillLearning1 wrote: And yes the apple pie thread I think is what inspired me to try this. ...well...that and goose.

Likewise. I always wanted a thumper so I can stop "double and twistin" so much and start "single footin". But that thread really set a fire under my ass to get a thumper going. The clear apple pie sounds like something to work on.

Agreed. I've always been a slow single run guy anyways. Seems a thump is a must for me. I just wish I had a few more opinions from folks who have actually done this vs. Just reading about it like myself.

Its uncharted water and I'm a novice! Makes me kinda uneasy.

I wouldn't feel uneasy about it. Nothin' to loose - everything to gain.

NZChris wrote:Flavor doesn't come over evenly during distillation. The more volatile a flavor is, the more will come over with the foreshot and heads. Whether, or not, it's worthwhile going to the trouble of plumbing for it depends on what you intend making.

I've got a 2" fill pipe on my boiler so I can dump 5 gallon buckets into it without much fuss . Thumper has a 2"x2"x1" tee . 1" has been quite adequate to load the thumper . I'll be able to tell you more about shootin the thumper after the first of the year .

Truckinbutch wrote:I've got a 2" fill pipe on my boiler so I can dump 5 gallon buckets into it without much fuss . Thumper has a 2"x2"x1" tee . 1" has been quite adequate to load the thumper . I'll be able to tell you more about shootin the thumper after the first of the year .

Are you using the single hole design on your thumper also? If so are you just removing the liebig/ worm...or whatever and shooting it through that way? Just dawned in me that there will be a union there for my liebig so I really don't need the second tee if I can just attach my "shoot it" pipe right there.

I look forward to hearing your results as I can't afford to start my build till after the first anyways!

I'm using the single hole design . Just added that extra tee into the column . Only have to remove a pipe cap to ad to thumper . Same with boiler . No need to break down the whole rig to add anything . When i assemble my rig it may stay in place for 4 or 5 weeks at a time for my convenience .

moosemilk wrote: There is a thread on "clear apple pie" where shooting the thumper seemed to be the best answer to do this, and has a lot of info about shooting as well.

I've been contemplating a build to add to my thumper for shooting it. Full credit to goose for the inspiration. I have a 2" fill port on the thump. I figure I could fab something up out of leftover pipe and a couple ball valves.

Seems like a few of us are gaining interest in the idea.

I somehow missed the 'clear apple pie' thread. Here's the link if anyone else missed it too. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=50185

Tap. Out.

Tap wrote:I figure I could fab something up out of leftover pipe and a couple ball valves.

I wouldn't try using two valves because I'd be too worried about vacuum caused by shooting cold liquid into vapor causing catastrophic collapse. I'm sure it would be fine for dosing small shots, but I don't know of a good reason for doing that ... yet.

What about building a box around your lyne to pre-warm what you are going to shoot...like they do to warm mash for the next charge. have a fill cap on that, and valved bottom to thumper? One way of doing it, although bit more complex.

NZChris wrote:

Tap wrote:I figure I could fab something up out of leftover pipe and a couple ball valves.

I wouldn't try using two valves because I'd be too worried about vacuum caused by shooting cold liquid into vapor causing catastrophic collapse. I'm sure it would be fine for dosing small shots, but I don't know of a good reason for doing that ... yet.

Good point. I may have to reconsider.

Y'all complicating it way too much . With fill pipes on boiler and thumper it ain't gonna be more than a five minute shutdown to shoot a thumper via fill plug and get back to running . Elaborate plans require elaborate modifications . KISS (keep it simple , stupid ) Too much adoo about nothing .

Depends on what you lookin.
Use it at backins for heads
use it at backins with more backins
Use it for blendin. You all grain with a charge
of different flavers
fruit
What you doin is tryin to get flavers an sent over.
Some let loose dry some you soak in likker.
Make sure you got it close to hot when shooting it.

Now you askin what temp with what thang. Fruits
like likker an heat.
Remember you tryin to get it to turn loose not hold onto
so you cookin different.
as far as them up right outfits. I'd be shooting the kettle.

You will scald yourself bad you don't keep your wits about you.

So I'm tole

Shoot some flavers after the heavy backins to
use to take your likker down with
You can dab the oil off with a paper towel.
Don't leave it on it cause its a pride thang.


I aint never run no likker an aint gonna in the future
You gotta learn on your own.

So I'm tole

There ya go, from the man himself.

Well Mr. Goose......thank you for stopping in to shed a little light for me. I think I understand most of what you said. Some parts I'm still reading over a few times....

Part that made the most impact on me was "you gotta learn on your own". So it looks like that's just what I'll have to do!

And also thanks to everyone else contributing in this thread. I was glad to see that I'm not the only one interested in this technique. It seems as though there is still very little concrete instruction on this subject so hopefully a few of us will be trying this soon and can compare notes!

I usually add cinnamon to my thumper on apple runs, after Goose' recommended shooting it I found way better flavor coming through.

I have a batch of BlackBerry wine I am about to run and I have saved a jar of BlackBerry juice to shoot it with to up the flavor.

This calls to mind something else I have been pondering. Adding corn and fresh barley into the thumper to amp up the grain flavor in my finish product. After reading this thread it seems goose has already been doing that.