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Hi All
This is at the thought bubble stage but, I would be interested to know if any one has achieved any success in making a gin with a hillbilly pot still. I am thinking of macerating the hard botanicals in the pot still boiler and putting the fresh peel in the thumper to keep the citrus flavour bright. The other option would be shorten the down tube to the thumper making it a double and hang the the citrus in a basket in the doubler.
Appreciate any comments
SillBill

I’ve not tried it, but would think using a thumper for gin making is overly complex for what is needed and there is nothing to gain from it. Your alcohol should already be clean and at a high proof so no value in the second distillation. No value I’m aware of in distilling oils twice, and I think you would lose potency with the second pass. Just an educated guess, and I’m curious if others feel there would be some benefit.

Using the thumper as a slobber box is the same as using a carter head. Should work if needed, but your oil production will be lower due to the extra mass of the thumper. (Your first drops of oil will condense in the box, until it heats up. That is a lot of oil lost.

100% agree with Otto's, it's just over complicating things.
Stick it all into the boiler.

Thumpers, slobber boxes and Carter Heads all have different functions to a simple gin basket and each other.

Try it both ways. I doubt you'll notice enough difference to go to the trouble of using the thumper again.

Thanks guys
Yeah your right! Why reinvent the wheel, just looking for another use for my shine still. I'm getting very popular results at present for my gin with my boiler maceration, short column and putting the peel up the column held there with a SS scrubber.
Cheers StillBill

Use less peel and toss it in the boiler with the rest......I doubt most will notice a difference.

+1. What he said.

Use the boiler, but adjust proportions.
ss

Hey there stillbill

Hoping this is nothing more than a bump to members , but talk of Hillbilly stills is not welcome here .

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So I hope you are using the term generically as aposed to mentioning a still from that shonky lot

Hi Yummyrum, sorry didn't know that the afore mentioned still existed as a company, mine is just a copper cone, head and line arm that I made to fit my T500.
All the best for the New Yeah, StillBill

Never tried making a gin with my pot and thumper combination. The best I’ve ever recorded is 86 ABV. Don’t t know if thats an acceptable level for a fine gin, since I don’t drink it.

StillBill53 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 27, 2023 6:04 pm Hi Yummyrum, sorry didn't know that the afore mentioned still existed as a company, mine is just a copper cone, head and line arm that I made to fit my T500.
All the best for the New Yeah, StillBill

All good StillBill
Theres a lot to know here . I’m still learning .
And all the best back at yah