Doubler

[KatoFong]

I'm fermenting a sugar wash at the moment, which I hope to distill down to about 85% in a few runs through a pot still. Was wondering if it would behoove me to run it through a doubler when I do so, or if I should just distill it and redistill it until I get the % abv I want.

Are doublers worth the added time?

[Uncle Jesse]

either way is fine, but you get a lot more style points for a doubler.

[KatoFong]

If it's style I'm going for, can I just run the still in a tuxedo?

[Fourway]

hate thumpers.

[KatoFong]

Good to know. As for the still, any advice on design for maximum % abv? It will be a pot still.

[Uncle Jesse]

i like the idea of a doubler

whenever i get around to fabricating my own still i'm going to design one with a thumper.

[KatoFong]

I'd love to make a reflux still, but I have no ability to weld and no way to solder it together, and no way to run the water through a jacketed condensor. So pot still it is, I'm afraid. Multiple runs shouldn't be a problem for me, though. I'll just take a weekend and run it.

[Uncle Jesse]

you'll be better off in the long run as far as your ability to distill

[KatoFong]

Like I said, I'd love one. Is there any way to make one without having to solder or weld?

[Uncle Jesse]

i mean, if you use a pot still and learn how, you'll be better off.

you can always move up to a reflux in the future, but if you learn on a pot still you'll never regret it.

[Fourway]

i like the idea of a doubler

granted the idea is cool... but have you ever used one?
uggh.
what an unrelenting pain in the ass.

They triple heat up time (or worse), they leak, they slobber over, they take the initial cooked flavor off the first run output and lose a big chunk of the tail feints that cant be got at with the heat that can be generated just bubbling steam.

they add so much screwing around tinkering adjusting time that the whole process becomes about the doubler instead of about the still.

I'll build one onto a rig if I'm looking to do a perfect reproduction but I think that they aren't as traditional as people seem to believe. I suspect that they became common after 1920.

[KatoFong]

Sorry. Completely misunderstood you, Jesse.
That's more or less what I was thinking, too. Get myself proficient with the pot still, then move up to a reflux.

And thanks for the advice, everyone. Pot distilling in a tuxedo it is.

[swpeddle]

I second waht fourway said...I made a thumper at first because I liked the idea of efficency, reusing the latent heat etc.....but like Fourway said, you dramtically increase heat up time, it causes WAY more leakage points, you have to pay WAY more attention to the heat inputs, you have watch that you don;t over drive the bubbler of the thumper, etc. It's generally a serious PITA. I found it's way more easy to jam a stripping run throuhg hard and fast on one night and then do a proper cuts second run on the next night. If you;re feeling ambitious, I found that a third run gets you a pretty good product, but a double run isn't too bad. A third run cuts alot of flavour so if thats what you want fine, but if you;re looking for a proper rum, or something similar, three is too much.

[Rickle]

Very useful info here cause I was thinking of useing one. It's supposed to be like two distills in one. But from what y'all are saying it sounds like a big hassle and is more trouble than it's worth.
BUT, there must be something amiss with your set up. I'm thinking Size counts for a lot and if the size of it is not just right then you'll have problems. Sure heat up will take longer but think about it, you double distilling in one run.
I still like the idea and will most likely have to find the right size on my own.

Still at 1/4" foam and BIG alc smell. 9 hours so far

[Rickle]

And if your throwing slop in your still then you'll get slop out of it. Keep it clean.

[Tater]

If its size of thumper your askin Id go at least 1/2 size of still up to same size.You will improve on abv of wash but dont think youll do as well as double runnin to get higher proof . Biggest reason I ever heard for using thumper was when shiners used wood and coke or coal to heat with .They saved run from over heatin and pukein over. as it was caught in thumper as heating with other fuels like propane where heat could be fine tuned thumper use ended for most part .

[Fourway]

think about it, you double distilling in one run.

Only if you don't think about it too hard.

If you really put the old thinker in gear you realize that what you are doing is knocking down your vapor *completely* as it bubbles into unheated mash in the thumper, gradually raising the abv of the mash in the thumper as it gradually heats it up. Finally all the etoh is gone (long stinking gone) from your kettle and now you're just ferociously boiling spent mash to bring the mash in the thumper up to vapor temp. So at the point where your thumper *finally* starts giving up vapor you'd long since be shut down and preparing for your second run if you had just been running hard into a worm.

now there is an entire class of still and distilling process that involves just boiling plain water in the kettle and bubbling steam through the mash either in a big box (submarine or dead man) or in a continuous feed column (coffey still) or a series of copper cookers filled with alcohol bearing solids (grappa still)... and this approach has merits, but they are merits which are not served particularly using a thumper in the mash through mash "doubler" configuration.

[Rickle]

Hey I 'm a simple man ,,,,,
I only know what I've read . Hell,, I just started my first wine and don't even have a still.
Actually I'm kind of pissed off about it !!!
But I'm not mad.
For now, I'm doing the wine thing but hey
what can I say???
You gotta start from some where.
I like the wine thing!

[Rocky_Creek]

This thumper thing make since for the big time moonshiner or comercial distiller that is running one run after the other. Leave the alcohol in the thumper and reload the still. For a home distiller it make no sence at all.

[golden pond]

If its size of thumper your askin Id go at least 1/2 size of still up to same size.You will improve on abv of wash but dont think youll do as well as double runnin to get higher proof . Biggest reason I ever heard for using thumper was when shiners used wood and coke or coal to heat with .They saved run from over heatin and pukein over. as it was caught in thumper as heating with other fuels like propane where heat could be fine tuned thumper use ended for most part .

So Tater, you saying its better off to just double run than use the thumper?? I've nerver tried a thumper yet, just always mixed my runs to 100 proof, then cooked it off agin getting 170 proof every time. Is this the best way??

[TN.Frank]

I don't know, I kind of like my thumper. If nothing else it catches any solids that get thru from the cooker and stops em' from getting into the coil. I just need to find a round copper disc that's the size of a Mason Jar lid so I can silver solder the tubes to it and get rid of the jar lids. I think that'd make for an even cleaner run. Anyway, thumper or not just be happy you're distilling.

[Tater]

Nothing wrong with using a thumper if you got the extra time. As T N Frank said he like his as a slobber box. Ive personaly never got a high as proof using one as I have gotten double stilling.Id say other then catching anything thats pukes over. (with my potstill I usally get 140 starting proof and with added thumper on same type set up I got 155}It has a use in that it will improve the abv with thumper some on single runs and give a slightly cleaner taste.Down side is that it takes a lot longer to run and if higher proof is what your after double stilling is probly 1/2 agin faster.However ya can use thumper for adding flavors .Strip run and add mash to thumper on final run will help with flavor of grain likker .

[gonzo]

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder!

[Cornellius]

I am using doubler design for entirely different purpose and it does wonders. I fill my doubler with activated coal and due to some complications I can only distill 9 liters at one time hence my boiler is a pressure cooker. It works like magic and results are wonderful, activated coal directly filters the steam and the result is cleaner shine with purer taste. Hance I only use sugar wash and I do not want any favlour in my final product it helps me greatly.

[LWTCS]

So no liquid charge, just charcoal?

[ScottishBoy]

So no liquid charge, just charcoal?

I imagine that there would be a bit of relux in the beginning as the vapor condeses on the carbon granules, then develop a liquid charge at the bottom.

Do you get it to the point where its bubbling or does it just come through as vapor?

[Cornellius]

So no liquid charge, just charcoal?

Just activated carbon and thats it, no liquid charge though liquid slowly builds up as I go further into distilling.

So no liquid charge, just charcoal?

I imagine that there would be a bit of relux in the beginning as the vapor condeses on the carbon granules, then develop a liquid charge at the bottom.

Do you get it to the point where its bubbling or does it just come through as vapor?

I come to a point where it starts to bubble though it is at later stages of distilling, I've also tried with plain liquid charge as well yet the best results come from activated carbon. Final spirit is much more purer and neutral, and hence I like neutral taste, it helps me greatly.

What I do is distilling once without a doubler, then using a doubler with activated carbon on second run, it is almost like 2,5 times distilled. I wonder if I can add flavours by adding spices into doubler...

[Dnderhead]

I'm thanking the carbon would remove the flavours,you just cant have both.
with out the carbon it will work or with a second one.

[Cornellius]

I'm thanking the carbon would remove the flavours,you just cant have both.
with out the carbon it will work or with a second one.

Oh, I meant instead of carbon. I am thankful that carbon is removing all the flavours hence all my batches are sugar based and I am not very fond of flavours of grain vodkas. It is a personal preference though, having fruity flavours or spicy flavours is more akin to my personal taste than having grain based flavours.

[LWTCS]

I think your technique is clever.

I have not felt the need to use carbon. But I can't help but to wonder how thurough I could scrub up a 40 percent boiler charge and mount my Humper Thumper atop the Thump Tower with the dephlag in between the two.

Damn, I'm never gonna finish this list.