bourbon mash in a pot still with thumper

[Berryman]

Hi guys, I have a couple questions here. Years ago I was really into making apple brandy so I started using a thumper to try and infuse some extra apple flavor in spirit runs. Now, I'm running bourbon mashes and just charging thumper with more mash to increase the volume of the stripping runs. After a number of stripping runs, I diluted the low wines to 25% and filled the 15.5 boiler with about 11 gallons. I diluted more low wines to about 50% and charged the 8g thumper with about 4 gallons. Worked great, made cuts, filled 5g badmo barrel! However, I question if I lost a lot of flavor using a thumper during both strip and spirit runs. Thoughts on using thumpers when doing both stripping and spirit runs?

This part includes by time sensitive question: now, the second half of this project is to fill a new 5g oak barrel with the other half of the stripping runs and spirit run that'll be done tomorrow. 4 out of 5 strips have been completed. What do you think about combining all low wines from past 4 strips and the 9 gallons of thick remaining mash (that would have been the final 5th strip) and running it all together as the spirit run with the thumper? I'm wondering if this would help preserve some of the grain flavor. Again, the final product from this will go into a new 5g barrel for the short term because I don't want it over-oaked. I assume 6-12 months based on tasting along the way. Might lower proof and put back in barrel to attempt a double oak flavor.

grain bill: 2.5 - 30 gal mashes.
1 - 50# cracked corn run through cheap mill once; 10# milled unmalted winter rye; 13# malted distillers barley; water to fill 30 gallon pot and fermentor; DADY.
2- 50# cracked corn run through cheap mill twice; 10# milled unmalted winter rye; 13# malted distillers barley; water to fill 30 gallon pot and fermentor; DADY. Everything was cooked longer trying for better conversion
.5- half of the following: 30# flaked corn; 10# milled unmalted winter rye; 13# malted distillers barley; water to fill 30 gallon pot and fermentor; DADY. This batch converted a hell of a lot better and was 10x easier.

Process:
-simmer corn for 90 minutes will stirring (using propane burner). Add handful of barley occassionally to help loosen.
-Add rye and turn off heat. Let temp naturally lower to 155.
-Add barley and stir every 30 min. Maintain temp around 150 for at least 90 min.
-Naturally cool to 100f and pitch DADY

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to reading your thoughts

[jonnys_spirit]

I think it'll add some flavor and work out fine. If you're proofing down low wines for the boiler I'd also recommend using fresh ferment and feints from previous run in the thumper with the mash and low wines to get the volume and starting ABV you'd like.

Cheers,
jonny

[Bolverk]

My opinion, stripping with the thumper then running those I'll call them high wines since it's not your intention to drink those is going to be a "cleaner" bourbon than i like... Your end product is going to be on par with something like 2.5 distillations. That said it's not what I like, its what you like... do you like a funky fuller whiskey or something a bit more refined?

[NZChris]

What was the ABV of your low wines before adding water?

[SW_Shiner]

After a number of stripping runs, I diluted the low wines to 25% and filled the 15.5 boiler with about 11 gallons. I diluted more low wines to about 50% and charged the 8g thumper with about 4 gallons. Worked great, made cuts, filled 5g badmo barrel! However, I question if I lost a lot of flavor using a thumper during both strip and spirit runs.

A lot of flavour was probably lost in the cut off of the stripping runs. Ive never had low wines needing to be diluted down to 50%. Any water added to low wines, regardless of stripping with a thumper or not will be taking away flavour. Better to strip the wash all the way down to at least 30% or below for a lot of flavour carry over. In my opinion, a bourbon mash should only see water twice. Once when mashing in, and once when bottling. If for some reason i need to dilute my low wines, i use reserved wash rather than water.