Categories Moonshine

How Cold Should Condeser Be For Moonshine? (Perfect answer)

Keep it increasing, maintaining a range of 175 – 195 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as possible. Turn off the heat when it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature at the top of the column will tell you about your alcohol vapor as it begins to condense.

  • You will often start to see some product dripping from your still when the Head / Column temperature reaches 56 Celsius. But generally the temperature range that you want to collect Moonshine within is between 78-82 °C and we generally stop collecting the distillate once we start getting fusels coming out.

Contents

How cold should condenser water be?

Most condensers have a 10 degree rise in water temperature from the inlet to the outlet, so 85 degrees inlet should mean 95 degrees out. Many technicians refer to this as the ‘split’ in temperature. Remember, this is under full load.

What temperature should water be distilled?

Distilled water usually has some of the mineral impurities removed and so you would expect it to boil at exactly 100 degrees C.

What happens if condenser water temperature is too low?

If the entering water temperature drops too low, the condenser head pressure will not be high enough to supply refrigerant through the expansion valve. Under less than full heat load conditions, the temperature will be less than design.

What temperature do you run moonshine?

The alcohol that makes fine, high-quality moonshine, is ethanol, which boils at a temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Other chemicals and types of alcohols, such as methanol, boil at lower temperatures and will be collected in your cup or jar after being condensed in the coil. These chemicals are poisonous.

Is boiling water the same as distilled water?

No, they aren’t the same. Boiled water is simply water that has had the temperature increased until it reaches its boiling point. Distilled water is water that has been stripped of all impurities, including minerals and microorganisms.

Can I use boiled water instead of distilled water?

At the same time, boiling does not have an effect on other impurities like minerals, and so these remain in the water. Therefore, while boiled water can’t be used in the ways that distilled water is used because of its mineral content, it can be consumed.

How can you tell if water is distilled?

The cup should be high enough inside the pot that it does not touch the water. Boil the water for 20 minutes. Boiling creates vapor that rises and then condenses back into water. The water that drops from the lid into the cup is distilled.

How long should a moonshine condenser be?

The Liebig condenser is a 1/2″ pipe with a 3/4″ water jacket. Total length is 29″.

What is the worm in Moonshine?

Worm – A coil submerged in a water-filled container. Alcohol-laden steam condenses to a liquid in the coil.

How does a still condenser work?

Stills have two basic components. A boiler to make the steam and a condenser to cool the steam & collect the alcohol. Condensers are cooled by cold tap water running through tubes & cooling jackets around the condenser steam chambers. now finished & the still is turned off.

Still condenser maximum temperature

Geoman, Even in this straightforward procedure, there are several things to consider. The variables described above, as well as the heat exchange surface area, the number and size of tubes, shell side or tube side operation, vertical or horizontal, the kind and position of baffles, and on and on, are all considered. There are several charts available on the internet, as well as calculators, formulae, and assistance, which will allow you to come quite near to the answer. There is even software available that does an excellent job.

In my original calculations for condenser sizing, I used a 2-hour stripping run for all of my steam-fired stills as a starting point.

As a result, even if the customer’s water is 15 degrees hotter than the recommended temperature or if they are running gns extremely quickly, the condenser will be able to perform the task without trouble.

Final condensers for my 300 gallon Ultra Pro Vodka stills are 12″ diameter by 40″ long tube and shell condensers.

During a vodka run, my 150 gallon vodka stills use less than 1 gallon of coolant per minute, which is quite low.

Additionally, you must have appropriate baffling.

Even with a 4″ x 48″ condenser that is fully baffled, the OPs 600 liter should have at least one of these.

Water Temperatures For Condensers? – Usage Discussions on StillDragon® Community Forum

The issue I have is, for what purpose is this being done. The temperature at the intake of the Product Condenser should be kept below a hazardous level for safety reasons. In order to maximize efficiency, the temperature at the input of the Reflux Condenser should not be ‘too cold’ so that it cools the liquid that it condenses. Beyond that, it really depends on how you want to provide the cooling water to your customers. In the case of a ‘aromatic tank,’ you are referring to the “vapor space below the Reflux Condenser” being warmer than the water exiting the Reflux Condenser.

Most likely, your temperature sensors are not providing you with the complete picture; they are not providing you with the temperature inside the vapor chamber, but rather with the temperature at one small place within the vapor chamber.

The quantity of heat you are extracting from the column is equal to the flow rate multiplied by the temperature increase of the water in the column.

Variations in proof charge, variations in ambient temperature, variations in cooling water temperature, and other factors all have an impact on the temperature below the Reflux Condenser.

Even more critically, I’ve discovered that variations in your temperatures above and below the reflux temperature are the most reliable indicators of what’s going on.

Distillation Temperature

The article “How are Commercial Spirits Made? ” is highly recommended prior to reading this one, since it gives an excellent summary of the concept of distillation. Continue reading if you are already familiar with the fundamentals. Before we get started, here’s a little reminder: If you do not have a federal fuel alcohol or distilled spirit plant permit as well as the necessary state permissions, you are prohibited from distilling alcohol. Our distillation apparatus is intended solely for legal reasons, and the information contained in this paper is intended solely for educational purposes.

The Boiling Temperature of Ethanol

We receive a large number of queries concerning distillation and temperature control. According to a large amount of evidence, the boiling temperature of ethanol is 174 degrees Fahrenheit. The truth is that this is only half true. Pure ethanol has a boiling temperature of 174 degrees Fahrenheit. ethanol in a wash, which is to say ethanol combined with water, boils at a temperature that is fully dependent on the ratio of ethanol to water. The boiling temperature increases in direct proportion to the amount of water present in the solution.

In this case, the boiling point of a solution containing 100 percent ethanol is 174 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is true that the boiling point (liquid) temperature of ethanol in a 50/50 solution of ethanol and water will be around 180 degrees.

Should a Still Start Producing Alcohol At 174 Degrees Fahrenheit?

Among the many questions we receive is this one: “Should I expect to see alcohol escaping from my still after the temperature has reached 174 degrees F?” No, a commercial distiller should not engage in this practice, according to the response. Why? Pure ethanol has a boiling point of 174 degrees Fahrenheit, as previously stated. The wash produced by a still is not pure ethanol. If such were the case, why would anybody bother distilling it? A first-run wash is typically no stronger than 20 percent ethanol in concentration.

  • Rather of being 100 percent alcohol (ethanol), it’s more likely to be 90 percent water.
  • A wash with a starting alcohol concentration of 10 percent ethanol will not boil anywhere near 174 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • For those who are unfamiliar with how to determine the alcohol content of a wash, we recommend that you read ourHow to Use a Hydrometerarticle.
  • It depicts the liquid boiling temperature of ethanol as a function of the concentration of ethanol in a solution (in degrees Celsius).

It is also important to remember that the data in the chart above only pertains to distillation at sea level! The boiling point of water decreases with altitude, and vice versa.

Should a Still Maintain a Constant Temperature During Distillation?

The following is another question we receive: “Should I maintain the temperature of my still at exactly 174 F during a distillation run?” “No, certainly not,” is the response to this question. Why? The solution, as it turns out, has a lot to do with the chart above. A professional distiller, for example, may begin with a strong wash that contains a beginning alcohol concentration of 20 percent and may predict that ethanol will begin to boil out of the solution after the liquid temperature has reached around 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Assume that halfway through the run, half of the alcohol has been removed from the wash and the wash has a 10 percent alcohol by volume content.

The basic line is that when a still is operated, the temperature continuously rises.

Where Should a Thermometer Be Installed on a Still?

If possible, we would want to at the very least place a temperature probe in the boiler. Always use a copper adapter that is 100 percent copper and a stainless steel thermometer to ensure that the temperature is accurate. It is also beneficial to include a secondary thermometer at the top of the column to measure the temperature of the vapor. Our recommendation is to have one in each site because it makes the distillation process a lot easier. Thermometers are located at the very top of the column.

Although both the boiler temperature and the vapor temperature are used to measure the temperature of liquid inside the still, the vapor thermometer is used to measure the temperature of vapor contained inside the column.

First and first, never attempt to measure the temperature of a motionless object using an infrared thermometer.

They monitor the surface temperature of a still rather than the temperature of the liquid or vapor inside.

Should Vapor Temperature and Wash Temperature be the Same?

The temperature of the vapor and the temperature of the wash should be quite different. As soon as vapor begins to develop in the pot and is forced to migrate up the column, the temperature of the vapor temperature probe at the top of the column (if one is mounted there) will climb from ambient to 175 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a minute. Hypothetically, the boiler thermometer may be reading something like 195 F (again, depending on the starting alcohol) at this stage, while the vapor probe may be reading as low as 175 F.

There will always be a significant temperature differential between the two temperatures (boiler and vapor), but this is not a significant issue.

How to Use Temperature During Distilling

Temperature is mostly useful in deciding when to seal the still, when it is about to begin producing, and when it is about to finish generating alcohol. When it comes to producing high-quality product, we continue to believe that adjusting heat according to the amount of product coming out of the still is the most dependable way. Rather than a stream of liquid, a commercial distiller should be looking for consistent, rapid dripping. Also, keep an eye out for evidence. If the proof is extremely low at the start of a run, either there is very little starting alcohol present or the still is operating at an excessively high temperature.

Troubleshoot Rising Temp on Reflux Still

There might be a variety of reasons for the temperature to continue to rise while you are operating your reflux moonshine still. The most straightforward explanation is that you have already gathered all of the booze that you can possibly get out of that run. On the other hand, this is not always the case. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why this could be happening, as well as what you can do to prevent it.

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You’ve already collected all the alcohol from the still.

Although it appears to be self-evident, this is not always the case. While running your moonshine still in reflux mode, determining when to cease collecting is not always as straightforward as it appears. It is possible that the pace at which your product exits the condenser may begin to slow down significantly, which when paired with the greater temperature is a solid signal of when to call it quits. However, this can also be dependent on your mash, and even while the distillate’s flow speed may not have altered significantly, the product you are collecting may have very little alcohol at this stage.

If you have really gathered all of the alcohol you will be able to get your hands on, all that is left to do is to cease collecting and turn off your moonshine still.

Your heat source is too powerful.

When distilling, it’s possible to apply too much heat at the same time. Typically, this is observed with distillers that employ gas heating elements, although it is also possible to go beyond with electric heating components. You can lessen the amount of heat you use and then retry. A few distillers employ two electric heating elements to swiftly bring their mash to a boil, but then reduce the number of heating elements to one when it comes time to begin the distillation process. If you’re utilizing numerous electric heating components, you might want to consider turning one of them off or using a heater controller to minimize the amount of heat generated.

Your cooling lines aren’t doing their job properly.

When it comes to reflux distillation, cooling lines are quite critical, and if they are not functioning properly, the temperature at the top of your moonshine still column will almost likely be affected. The temperature of their cooling water is frequently inquired about by our customers, and we simply respond, “as cold as you possibly can!” If you’re utilizing a submersible pump to recirculate your water, make sure to continuously adding ice to your water supply to keep the temperature as frigid as possible while also keeping the temperature uniform throughout the system.

Once the ice has melted, the temperature of your cooling water can quickly rise from 35°–40° to 70°–80°, so keep an eye on it and replenish it with ice as needed.

I hope this has helped to clarify some of your queries about why the temperature at the top of your moonshine still column is continuing to climb. Any additional queries can be directed to us via email or Facebook.

Controlling Your Heat and Boiler Temperature vs. Vaporization

There is usually a lot of misunderstanding when I am talking to people about their runs about why they need a heat controller and how they can utilize it to regulate their boil temperature. Simply said, you cannot use it to regulate the temperature of your boiler, but here is a more in-depth explanation of why you require the ability to regulate the temperature of your boiler. Because you are reading this, I am going to assume that you already have a good grasp of basic distillation, and if you don’t, you should brush up on your knowledge because a lot of what follows will probably make no sense to you at all!

Boiler Temperature vs. Speed of Vaporization

Phase Diagram for Ethanol Consequently, let’s begin at the beginning. To boil your mash, you want to take advantage of the fact that alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water (and a lot of other chemicals that you don’t want in your final distillate), resulting in something with a greater alcohol by volume (ABV). It is entirely dependent on the alcohol distillation temperature that the mash will boil at, and based on this ABV, the mash will boil somewhere between the boiling points of ethanol (173 F) and water (212 F), unless you are 9000 ft above sea level like we are, in which case it will boil somewhere in the middle.

  • The lower your alcohol by volume (ABV) is, the closer your temperature will be near 212 degrees.
  • Please refer to the chart on the right for an illustration of this, and feel free to print it for future reference on the suggested boiler temperature range!
  • In most cases, increasing the temperature of your boiler will not result in an increase in this temperature (unless your mash has not yet begun to boil).
  • If you still don’t believe me, consider the process of boiling a pot of water on the stove.
  • Once it reaches that temperature, it begins to boil, but it does not rise over 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Does that make sense? It is for this reason that you must be able to regulate your heat input; you must be able to regulate the rate at which the vapors flow up your column or into the still head.. In the case of a pot still, the explanation is slightly different than in the case of a reflux still.

Why you need to control the rate of vaporization

The rate of vaporization must be controlled in a pot still in order to avoid pushing vapors through the system at such a rapid pace that the condenser cannot condense it all back into a liquid. When this occurs, you will have vapor coming out of the end of your still, which you should already be aware is quite dangerous! In the case of a heat source that cannot physically provide too much heat for your condenser, you will not be required to limit the rate at which the water comes to a boil. For example, our 1500W heating elements may be utilized without the need of a controller since our condensers are capable of condensing all of the vapors that a 1500W element will create, allowing the element to be used without a controller (as long as your water is cold enough).

In the event that you insert a 4500W or 5500W heating element into an all-purpose reflux still, a couple of things are likely to occur, among them: First and foremost, you would run into the same difficulty as with the pot still: the condenser would not be able to manage all of the vapor, resulting in the blowout of the still’s tail end.

Due to the lack of reflux in the column, the vapor exchange in all of your column’s packing is inhibited, and the “blown” vapor will typically pool on top of your column’s packing until it reaches the lyne arm (at which point the clear distillate will surge out every once in a while).

Ways to control your heat source

First and foremost, if you haven’t already, watch our video on the advantages and disadvantages of electric versus gas heat sources. Most novices begin with a propane burner setup since it is less expensive, and this is perfectly OK. However, one of the most common issues we have with propane burners is that they have difficulty operating at a low enough temperature to produce a slow, continuous trickle of distillate from your column. Their built-in venturi helps to draw in new air for combustion, but when you set the still down this low, the venturi no longer functions effectively, causing the flame to burn yellow instead of blue (and to deposit a thick layer of soot on the bottom of the boiler) owing to a lack of oxygen.

Thermostat controllers are the first to be discussed since they are the ones that are most frequently mishandled.

As previously stated, the temperature of the boiling wash is controlled by the ABV in the wash, not by the heat source you are using.

Even if you manage to dial it in to the exact temperature at which the wash will boil, it will cycle on and off, creating surges of distillate that will cause havoc with the way a reflux still runs, leading it to malfunction.

It is primarily for this reason that thermostat controllers are useful: they allow you to bring the still up to almost-boiling temperature and maintain it there until you return to complete the run, or they allow you to shut the still down once it reaches a temperature that indicates you are into your tails.

  • These controls are not perfect, just as the thermostat controls are not perfect.
  • However, they do have the advantage of being programmable.
  • Even though these relays are rather sophisticated, I’ll make an attempt to explain them.
  • Because we are using 60 Hz electricity, we are essentially cycling the heating element on and off 60 times per second without having to actually turn on and off the SSR 60 times.
  • It is vital to remember, however, that as you boil the ethanol out of your wash, the amount of energy required to generate the same column of vapor increases (since the water content is increased and water takes more energy to vaporize than ethanol).

Sorry for dumping so much information on you all at once, but I hope it was helpful in clearing some things out for you. Let us know if you have any further questions in the comments section below!

Home Distilling – How to Make Booze

The Glendronach Distillery in France is home to the world’s first whiskey stills. Okay, now that you understand how distillation works, you’re probably wondering how you can get started with some home distilling of your own, don’t you? It is my hope that this page will guide you through the extremely fascinating process of home distillation. If you are unfamiliar with the fundamentals of distillation, please go here so that you can learn the fundamentals. This page solely discusses distilling alcohol; it does not include the process of creating mash (which is then distilled).

The most difficult aspect of home distillation is gathering and obtaining the equipment and ingredients necessary for the process of distilling alcohol (mostly the still)

  • If you don’t know what a mash is or how to prepare one, go here to find out. You may use it to distill whatever alcoholic beverage you choose, as long as it is not too strong. While it is crucial, this piece of equipment is one of the most difficult to obtain and most obscure to the general public. A still is the vessel in which the whole distillation process takes place. access to a heat source (stovetop, open fire, heat plate, or other similar device)
  • Availability of water and ice
  • Initial alcohol measurements are included in the collecting container. A collecting jar for the finished alcoholic beverage
  • Dishwashing liquid

Now that you have all of your equipment, let’s talk about the most enigmatic piece of it all: the still. As previously stated, the still serves as the central hub for the distillation of alcohol. The pot will continue to be the focal of of our attention and conversation. We’ll start by going through the different sections of the still and what they are used for:

  1. The first portion of the pot is still the pot, which seems self-explanatory, right? The pot is precisely what you would expect it to be
  2. It is a pot in which you will place the alcohol that will be distilled, and nothing more (the mash). When the undistilled alcohol is heated up in the pot, it transforms into vapor and goes into the brain
  3. This is where the undistilled alcohol is kept and heated up
  4. The second section is referred as as thehead. This is simply where the steam from the evaporated alcohol condenses first, and it is also where the temperature is measured because there is usually a thermometer here, and it should read between the boiling point of alcohol (173 degrees Fahrenheit/78 degrees Celsius) and the boiling point of water (212 degrees Fahrenheit/100 Celsius)
  5. The third section is referred to by a variety of names, including the swan neck and the column. As previously said, this element is attached to the head and functions effectively as a highway for your alcohol to move to the condenser (the next section)
  6. The fourth component is referred to as a condenser or worm. This is the final stage of the distillation process when the alcohol is in the form of steam before being CONDENSED back into a liquid (so you can drink it). The condenser can be either a lengthy coiled pipe or a straight pipe with a significant amount of length. The condenser is cooled by some type of cooling system (which is the following section)
  7. The cooling system is the last section, and it is responsible for chilling the steam while it is in the condenser, allowing it to return to its liquid condition. The cooling system is often comprised of a bucket of ice/ice water into which the condenser is placed
  8. This is both simple and effective. Some condensers have a little more sophisticated cooling system that uses an ongoing supply of water to cool them down. This is often utilized when there is no coil and instead only a tiny pipe for the condenser to flow through. This is accomplished by installing a bigger pipe/cover over the condenser (which transports the alcoholic steam) and installing a water in and water out nozzle, through which cold water continuously flows in and out of the system.

Please have a look at the graphic below to better understand what the various pieces are and how they function together in a system. This is the stage at which you should have your still and your mash (click here to learn about mash). Preparation is straightforward and straightforward, and it boils down to just a few simple steps.

  • A cooling agent should be provided to your condenser, which might be in the form of ice and water or a continuous flow of cold water. Note: There is no such thing as being too cold
  • It is preferable to overdo the cooling rather than underdo it since underdoing it may result in the loss of alcohol vapor because the temperature is not chilly enough for it to condense to liquid. Ascertain that you have a dependable heating source capable of producing temperatures about 185 degrees. Take care to allow yourself adequate time for the still’s run
  • You don’t want to be faced with the prospect of having to do it at two or more distinct times. Placing your still such that it is directly over the heating source and ready to begin (but do not turn on the heat just yet) Measure the amount of mashed potatoes you have (it doesn’t have to be exact, just near)
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All of the difficult work is finally completed! In the distillation process, the majority of the effort is spent gathering and preparing the necessary raw ingredients. You are now prepared to take part in your first still run! The following are the measures to take:

  1. Fill the still’s pot halfway with your mash
  2. Close and fasten the top of the pot/head down with a rubber band or clamp. This step will differ depending on the type of still you have
  3. Nonetheless, make certain that everything is airtight by using the proper clamps if they are included with your still. Once everything is snug and tight, it is time to turn up the heat. Keep an eye on the thermometer to ensure that the temperature does not rise over the boiling point of alcohol or below the boiling point of water. It is best to keep the temperature between 185 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit. As the alcohol begins to flow out of your still, collect it in the container with measures written on it. You do this because you want to discard the first 45 mL (approximately a shotglass) of alcohol produced for a 1 gallon mash, so you collect it in the container with measurements written on it. As a result, because the original alcohol created is not safe to consume (it is methanol rather than the ethanol we wish to consume), this procedure is performed. After the initial methanol alcohol has been removed, place your permanent collecting jar in the center of the room and let it to fill up until no more alcohol drops out
  4. As soon as the alcohol has stopped flowing out, you may turn off the heat and feel proud of yourself for successfully finishing your first still run.

Allow your still to cool for a few minutes before disassembling it (if it is feasible) and emptying out the mash that has accumulated in the bottom. Then, using hot water, dish soap, and/or white vinegar, thoroughly clean your cooking pot. Check to see that the still is completely washed out of the mash and is clean, and then pat any residual water off with a towel.

3 Ways to Manage a Reflux Still Column

Being able to recognize and manage an efflux still column is simply one of the fundamental abilities required to run distillery equipment. When regulating the performance of the reflux column still, it is critical to maintain a balance between temperature and alcohol by volume (ABV). The ABV may be controlled by adjusting the reflux temperature, which can cause it to increase or decrease. In some cases, a reflux column can reliably distill a high concentration of alcohol from a mixture that contains just 8 percent or even 1 percent alcohol by volume.

  • The temperature principle (TP), the concentration principle (CP), and the vapor-liquid equilibrium graph are all examples of thermodynamic principles.

Temperature Principle (TP)

Under normal atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of water is 100°C / 212°F, whereas the boiling point of anhydrous ethanol (ethanol that contains no water) is 78.4°C / 173.1°F. Due to the fact that ethanol is endlessly miscible with water, the boiling point of the combination will be anywhere between 78.4°C and 100°C / 212°F. As soon as the combination begins to boil, the components with the lowest boiling points will be the first to evaporate, followed by the remaining components (typically the highest ABV concentration).

It is advised that you progressively heat the kettle to ensure that you achieve the best separation possible.

Because this connection can assist the distiller in determining the amount of alcohol still remaining in the kettle, it is useful.

Suppose the appropriate head temperature for your reflux still column is 90°C/194°F, and the temperature rises throughout the distillation process, the distiller can raise the reflux ratio, resulting in an increase in the quantity of ABV that is sent over to the product condenser, and vice versa.

On the other hand, when the head temperature goes below the optimal temperature for separating the ethanol from the water, the concentration Of alcohol by volume (ABV) will increase.

In order to fix this issue, the distiller can lower the reflux ratio, which will lower the alcohol by volume (ABV) of the alcohol collected as finished distillate.

Concentration Principle (CP)

The concentration principle is founded on the concept of positive feedback, which happens when a phase shift cycle is repeated numerous times. The term “phase change” refers to the transition of a water/alcohol combination from its liquid state to its gaseous form, which is useful in distilling spirits. Phase change is sometimes defined as the transition from a gaseous to a liquid state. The ABV of the succeeding liquid rendered will always be greater after a complete cycle of phase change, since a percentage of water within the combination is left behind during this mass transfer to the next higher plate on a phase change column.

  1. Additionally, the ABV of this overflow from above will be higher than the ABV of the liquid that is now on the plate.
  2. The amount of alcohol in this returning reflux will be larger than the amount of alcohol now on the plate….
  3. While the distilling column is also being fed alcohol from the kettle at the same time, the alcohol is being filtered by phase change cycles that occur during mass transfer toward the top of the distillation equipment, according to the manufacturer.
  4. By operating the apparatus with care and deliberateness, the ABV in the vapor may be kept constant, allowing the distiller to reproduce taste profiles over the course of several runs.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Graph

The use of an alcometer at the distillate discharge of the column can assist the distiller in determining the alcohol by volume (ABV) of the distillate. Distillers may use the varying temperatures available to generate an ABV approximate estimate during the run, allowing them to run more effectively and precisely. When attempting to determine the ABV in a flux still column, a vapor-liquid equilibrium graph is helpful. The accuracy with which temperatures are collected during the run is critical in determining the ABV estimate.

We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or issues about the operation of your StillDragon distillation equipment.

Explaining The Thumper Keg: The Basics

If you’re someone who knows absolutely nothing about this and is hearing the terms thumper and keg combined for the first time, you could believe that this is something that rabbits and bunnies use to celebrate.

Don’t be concerned. We created this tutorial for the home distiller who wants to learn all there is to know about thumper kegs, including what they are, what they do, what they are for, what they are used for, and how they operate.

A Quick Summary

For those of you who are in a rush and only want to know the most basic facts regarding the simple thumper keg, here is the page for you.

  • What Exactly Is It? With the help of a thumper keg, you may distill your cheap wine a second time. It is often constructed of copper, steel, or wood, and it is located between the still pot and the condenser. What Is the Function of a Thump Keg? As a result, the distillation process is accelerated, and your low-alcohol wine is transformed into a liquid with a larger alcohol content, which is essential for the production of moonshine or bourbon. What size Thump Keg do you need to use for your project? It should be between 25 percent to 40 percent of the size of your primary boiler
  • However, this might vary.

Continue reading if you’d want to learn more about the thumper keg in general.

What Is a Thumper Keg and Where Is It From?

A thump keg, sometimes known as a doubler, thud barrel, or thump chest, is frequently mentioned in conjunction with a backwoods whiskey still in the literature. A very antique and traditional design may be found on this item.

Quick History Lesson

There is a popular belief among historians that early settlers took this form of thump keg with them and integrated it into the stills that they later began to construct once they’d, well… established. If you take a look around, you’ll notice that some of the older European stills seem to confirm this notion since they appear to have made use of what appears to be the same chambers that were used as thump kegs as well. This suggests that the colonists who came over from the British Isles were already familiar with the design and inventiveness of how it functions!

The Thumper Keg of Today

Modern-day hillbilly culture retains the thump keg as one of the most recognizable and ingenious design components of the classic hillbilly still. Anyone who manufactures moonshine will understand how critical this is to the operation of their moonshine stills. The thumper keg, which can be constructed of copper, steel, or wood, is located between the stillpot and the condenser and holds the liquid. You might wonder why this is the case. Its function, in a nutshell, is to distill the output of a pot still a second time without having to pass the distillate through a second time.

What Is a Thumper Keg For?

Are you still unsure what it does? We’re on the right track. So we’ve covered the basics of what a thump keg is intended to achieve. The next sections will go into the specifics of how this works. As a general rule, a conventional pot still with no thump keg can only distill a wash to the point of producing a “low wine.” As a result, you will have an output that ranges from 40 to 05 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). To attain the high alcohol level required for high-proof whiskey or any other spirit, such as moonshine, you will need…

a lot of sugar.

In the present day, many distillers in Europe still employ swan-neck pot stills and a beer stripper to distill wash to a low-wine condition, before passing the wash through a second spirit still in order to turn the wash into a high-proof spirit.

How Does A Thumper Keg Work?

You might be wondering how all of this magic comes to be.

The way a thump keg operates, on the other hand, is quite ingenious. The thumper keg distillation equipment in moonshine stills makes advantage of the surplus heat released by the steam pot, making it a particularly effective distillation process. Allow me to explain.

  1. When using a typical still, the wash or fermented solution is heated to a high temperature, which causes the alcohol vapors to be released
  2. These vapors are then trapped by the condenser and collected into the solution known as low wines.

Did you know: If you don’t have a thumper keg, you’ll have to distill this liquid through a number of stills in order to get the desired high alcohol level. Even while this repeated distillation procedure is successful, it is also costly and time-consuming. It is because the thumper keg makes the moonshine-making process simpler that it is becoming increasingly popular among moonshine-makers.

So How Does It Work, Exactly?

The addition of more ethyl alcohol to the thumper during these distillations allows certain moonshine distillers to produce a more powerful liquor with a significantly greater alcohol level. It is necessary to allow your mash to reach the boiling point at some point throughout your distillation operation. After reaching this temperature, it will begin to produce steam or hot vapor. Now, it’s common sense that steam needs to escape somewhere at some point (otherwise things will start going ka-boom and nobody wants that).

The thumper keg comes into play at this point.

  1. If you’re using a thump keg, the heated vapor will flow through the arm and into the low wine that’s already condensed at the bottom of the thump
  2. You’ll start to hear a “thumping” sound as the hot vapor and condensed low wine explode out of this pipe on a regular basis. When you re-heat the liquid, the thumper keg transfers highly pure alcohol vapors from your still to the condenser, which is where the word “thumper” comes from. Known as thumper liquid, it is the high-proof spirit that all moonshine enthusiasts want.

Tips: The temperature is a good indicator of where you will need to make cuts in order to reach the proof you need. As you can see, the temperature of the vapor is regulated by the proportion of alcohol to water present. It is possible to get a decent estimate of the amount of alcohol present in your mix by monitoring the temperature of the liquid anyplace in your setup, with or without your thumper. Keep an eye out for the mash that you’re employing. It’s important not to let your mash overflow into the thumper!

The Result

When this entire process is completed, heated vapor will constantly heat the low-alcohol wine to the boiling point of alcohol, thus “distilling” the wine for a second time. This results in a high-proof moonshine, bourbon, or spirit that cannot be produced by simply passing a liquid through a standard pot still several times in a row. In order to avoid this, moonshiners and other distillers prefer to utilize wood for their kegs instead of plastic. Wood provides excellent insulation and is superior than metal in terms of keeping heat trapped within to maintain this temperature, allowing moonshine distillers to ensure that the process is as effective as possible while maintaining this temperature.

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Infusing Flavors Using A Thumper Keg

As you can see, we’ve already given you a very decent picture of what happens inside a thumper keg. But did you know that it can also be used to enhance the flavor of your moonshine by adding additional layers of flavor? Fill the thumper keg halfway with a limited number of spirit tails from a prior batch (the best option), some wash from the current batch, or water before starting the distillation process (water is the last resort).

When you turn on your pot still, the vapor that flows in will be cooled by this liquid, known as the thumper liquid. If you want to add additional flavor to your moonshine, you can do it at this step by adding fruits, herbs, or spices. You will have a number of alternatives for completing this task.

  1. Add fruit-infused alcohol to your thumper keg for a refreshing drink. Fill a large container with low-alcohol wines or head/tail spirits and arrange your choice fruits, spices, and herbs in the container. Once this is done, let it to sit for a week or two to allow the tastes to gradually permeate the liquid. When it’s time to distill, just pour this solution into the bottom of the thumper keg to allow the tastes of the solution to permeate your finished moonshine. You may also add liquid components like juice (apple, lemon, peach, blackberry, etc.) and coconut oil straight into your thumper keg if you want a simpler and speedier technique than the one described above
  2. However, this method is not recommended. Directly into your thumper, place your raw ingredients– This is a mixture of the first two types of flavor infusion that we’ve discussed previously. You have the option of immediately putting fruit peel, herbs, spices, and mashed ripe fruit into your thumper keg, if you so want. Just keep in mind that, in the case of mashed fruit, you will need to use a lot of it to get the flavor you want. Additionally, it may create quite a shambles

Fill your thumper keg with fruit-infused spirits– Fill a large container with low-alcohol wines or head/tail spirits and add your choice fruits, spices, and herbs. Once this is done, allow it to sit for a week or two so that the tastes may gradually integrate into the liquid. Add this solution to the bottom of the thumper keg when it’s ready to distill, and the tastes will be infused into your finished moonshine. You may also add liquid components like juice (apple, lemon, peach, blackberry, etc.) and coconut oil directly into the thumper keg if you want a simpler and speedier technique than the one described above; however, this will result in a lower yield.

Add fruit peels, herbs, spices, and mashed ripe fruit directly to your thumper keg instead of using a separate fruit pulp separator.

Aside from that, it may cause quite a commotion.

How Does It Compare?

You should not expect the same results as you would get from passing your vapor, water, and distillate through a sophisticated reflux column still, despite the fact that it is an improvement over a conventional pot still. If the reflux column is properly constructed, it may still produce up to 95 percent alcohol by volume or proof, while also allowing for greater separation of the ethyl alcohol, esters, and ketones in the heads and the heavier fusel alcohol in the tails of the column. The fact is that some distillers do not appreciate this method because they believe it removes too much taste from the distillate, resulting in less palatable alcohol at a later stage.

(**According to the individual who enjoys coffee**) These purists choose a thumper because it allows them to keep the flavor of their distillate while yet obtaining the desired alcohol by volume or proof level.

Ultimately, though, if you want to obtain that greater alcohol by volume or proof without having to put your distillate through a more costly set-up, we propose a thumper distillation system.

What’s the Right Size of Thumper Keg?

thumper kegs should be 25 percent to 40% the size of your main boiler, as we said at the beginning of the essay. However, if you want to charge your thumper keg with a significant quantity of charge, whether it be botanicals, cheap wines, wash, or water, you should get a thumper keg that is at least half the capacity of your main boiler.

How Do You Clean A Thumper Keg?

Doing a vinegar run through your thumper keg will be the quickest and most effective method of cleaning it so that it is ready for use in your moonshine production.

  1. Pour 50 percent distilled hot water and 50 percent vinegar into your boiler, filling it up to around 20 percent of its capacity. Starting with your pot, begin distilling from it directly into your thumper, exactly as you would usually when separating tails and distilling spirits. It should be at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit and should remain at that temperature for at least 5 minutes before using. Once that is completed, turn off your heat source and let your distillation apparatus to cool down to a temperature that you are comfortable with. You’re finished after you’ve emptied the vinegar solution.

It’s important to note that you only need to do this if you have a fresh new thumper keg on hand.

Otherwise, simply repeat the process 2 to 3 times every year.

Thumper Keg Recommendations

If you’re looking to purchase a thumper keg and would like some recommendations, here is the article for you.

Stampede Stills 2 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still Thumper Keg (Doubler)

A copper thumper keg that is totally constructed from copper (20-ounce copper sheet). It has a capacity of up to 2 gallons of liquid. It also has a half-inch ball valve drain and two half-inch copper pipe handoffs for easy connection. HOWEVER! For your pot, you might check out this stainless steel thumper keg that is meant for use with a beer kegerator….

DIY 2 Gal 10 Liters Thumper

It is constructed of food-grade materials and high-quality stainless steel that is 100 percent lead-free, ensuring that the distillation process is as safe as possible. It’s even available in a variety of sizes!

Stampede Stills Copper Half Gallon Widemouth Mason Jar Thumper Kit

Another excellent and reasonably priced choice if your goal is not to produce vast quantities of alcohol. Any wide-mouth mason jar may be transformed into a thumper with the help of this copper tube and seals that have been handmade in the United States. Keep in mind that it does not contain any extra pope or coupling unions to let you to connect it to your existing system.

Final Words

The moonshine industry is a big and diverse industry. This is only a small sample of the material that will be extremely beneficial to you as you work to develop your moonshine. Have a good time! Karl S. is a marketing leader, brewer, father, and spouse. Basically, he’s an all-around great person.

How To Make A Moonshine Distiller

Making your own alcohol is vital as a homesteader since it allows you to utilize leftover fruits and sugars that you may have into alcohol, helping you to become more self-sufficient. It is described in this article how to put together a simple distillation system out of items you may already have laying around in your shed or those you might locate in a scrap yard. The total time required to complete this project is around two hours. Here, the concept is that we are not attempting to create anything beautiful; rather, we are attempting to create a system that is simple, quick to construct, and that uses inexpensive, readily accessible wood waste from our property as fuel.

Materials Needed For The Distiller

  • The boiler/geyser tank is made of copper and is rather old. Copper was commonly used in the construction of older residential geysers. These are ideal for use as a distillation boiler since they are so small. 5/8″ (15mm) copper pipe cut to a length of roughly 2 meters
  • Three pieces of 3″ (19mm) copper pipe: two 3″ (19mm) straight 5/8″ (15mm) reducer tees
  • Two 3″ (19mm) straight 5/8″ reducers
  • And two 3″ (19mm) straight 5/8″ reducers. Compression fittings and elbows of various sizes to be used on either end of the tank to connect it. Depending on the size of the pipes in your boiler, this will be different. Tap on the inlet. a tap for the outlet
  • To construct your fireplace, you’ll need a variety of bricks and concrete slabs. Hose pipes for connecting the cooling system to the water supply.

This is my operating system. A 150-liter copper boiler, as well as a basic condenser constructed from scrap copper pipes found in my shed. It should be noted that the copper pipes have not even been cleaned. In a later step, we use vinegar to clean the interior of the system; however, there is no practical reason to clean the exterior because it is not in contact with your liquids and cleaning it would be a waste of time. It won’t take long for it to get completely black with soot.

The Build Of The Moonshine Distiller

A 3″ (19mm) straight 5/8″ (15mm) reducing tee and a 3″ (19mm) straight 5/8″ (15mm) reducer are used to construct a basic Liebig condenser. As you can see above, this will allow us to flow cool water through the 34″ (19mm) pipe, which will keep the 5/8″ (15mm) pipe that runs through it from being too hot. It is possible that you may need to use a file to remove any obstructions from the interior of the 5/8″ (15mm) reducer in order to get the pipe through it completely. I just glue the fittings together using silicon sealant, making it simple to adapt the system to different applications in the future if necessary.

The finished Tee and reducer assembly.

How to Build a Water Purification System in 10 Minutes is related to this.

When you are ready to ignite the fire, make sure this is closed.

It is linked to my irrigation system, so after I finish a distillation, I turn on the system and allow it to discharge the vinasse through my irrigation system.

Always use a 1:20 dilution rate for vinasse to irrigation water when using vinasse in an irrigation system.

A foundation of bricks on the ground, followed by concrete slabs, allows for adequate air movement to keep the fire burning.

“The boss” inspects the finished distiller to ensure that it was built correctly.

In order to circulate water from the tiny dam to the condenser and then back to the small dam, I use a little fountain pump.

I use a gas burner to jumpstart the wood fire in order to save time.

Bring this to a boil and allow it to pass through the distiller.

This is the condensate that is collected after the vinegar has been boiled in the boiler.

After you have thoroughly cleaned the inside of the boiler and condenser with this solution, you are ready to begin distilling.

Place old poor wood in this container to warm it up.

As previously said, you do not need to use high-quality wood because all that is required is to raise the temperature to the point where alcohol begins to evaporate, and from there, you will need to be able to regulate the fire with little sticks in order to avoid overheating your system.

You may lay these sticks under the boiler, and if the temperature rises to an unsafe level, you can pour water into the fire to cool it.

I store 2.5 liters of alcohol aside as heads, and I use this alcohol for cleaning windows and lighting fires as necessary.

By adjusting the temperature of the fire, you may alter the flavor profile of your alcoholic beverage.

In a manner, it’s a rudimentary alembic that just happens to happen by chance.

Start with a slow fire and keep the pace of alcohol distillation at a slow trickle while making calvados (apple brandy), for example, and you’ll get a very strong apple nose in the first ten or so liters of alcohol that will be extremely pleasant.

An increased heat during the cooking of rum (which is derived from molasses) may allow some rum notes to come through in the early alcohol coming out, which can result in a very pleasant and flavorful rum.

Typically, Fusel oils are responsible for some of the rum tastes, and a hot fire can induce some of these oils to pass past the condenser.

Safety Note

Alcohol is extremely flammable, yet it is also quite easy to extinguish. Because dilute alcohol does not burn, it is usually a good idea to keep a few buckets of water on hand. If you find yourself suddenly feeling really heated, pour a bucket of water over yourself. During the day, alcohol burns with a flame that is almost imperceptible. It may seem amusing, but when you are the one doing the distillers dance and leaping around, it aches a lot and is not at all amusing. You might also be interested in: DIY Smokehouse in a Barrel Root Cellars are simple to construct in your own backyard (Video) Dog Breeds That Are Ideal for Homesteaders On your property, you can raise the following little animals: The following are eight simple projects that you should not overlook in your backyard.

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