What Is A Thumper Keg In Moonshine Making Process Video?

What is the purpose of a thumper keg on a moonshine still?

The Thumper Keg of Today – Nowadays, the thump keg remains to be one of the most iconic and clever design elements of the traditional hillbilly still. Anyone who makes moonshine will know how important this is for their moonshine stills, The thumper keg can be made of copper, steel, or wood, and sits between the stillpot and condenser.

What is a thumper in moonshine?

What Is a Thumper? – A thumper is essentially a parasitic kettle connected to the primary distilling kettle, The thumper gets heated with the heat already produced to feed the primary kettle. Evidently, the thumper gets its name from the sound it makes while in operation.

What is the difference between a thumper and a doubler?

In American whiskey distilling, a type of pot still used for the second round of distillation, A doubler receives spirit that has already been cooled into a liquid, whereas a thumper receives vapor.

Is a thump keg necessary?

If you are interested in increasing the potency of your spirits or making a traditional backwoods moonshine, then you should grab a thumper keg for your still. It is a clever innovation which will increase the potency and purity of your distilled spirits.

Thumper Keg : A copper, steel, or wooden vessel which is placed between the still pot and condenser. What Size Thumper Keg to Use? A thumper keg should be 25% to 40% the size of your main boiler. What Does a Thumper Keg Do? The main purpose of a thumper keg is to speed up the distillation process.

Related: Moonshining in Appalachia in 1900s

Why do moonshiners shake the jar of moonshine?

Moonshine Alcohol Content Test – Unlike store bought alcoholic beverages, your homemade moonshine does not come with an ABV label. You will have to perform a simple test to calculate the amount of alcohol in your moonshine. The experienced, old school moonshiners are able to tell the proof of their moonshine by simply shaking the mason jar and observing the bubbles.

If the moonshine has large bubbles that dissolve quickly it indicates the moonshine has a high alcohol content. If the moonshine has smaller bubbles that dissolve slowly, it indicates a lower alcohol content. Even though this test has been used for more than a century to proof moonshine, nowadays, we can easily and more accurately proof moonshine by using a few simple tools– a hydromete r and a copper proofing parrot or a borosilicate glass test jar.

So, whether you are making moonshine for the first time or having been doing it for a long timehere’s what you need to know to most accurately proof it.

What is the difference between a thumper keg and a slobber box?

Re: Thumper keg and Slobber box – Post by rbw65 » Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:53 am If you electric chances are very slim it will puke or boil out as the temp is pretty steady. As someone already stated the the temp will rise as alcohol evaporates, thats when you need to watch it, thats the tails I smell fellas.shut er down. Keep em clean, Keep em lit

What temperature should I run my moonshine still?

Still Head Temperature For Making Moonshine – When To Start And Finish Collecting – Knowing when to start collecting moonshine from your still and when to finish is very important. 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. This is generally happens at a head temperature of 94 °C or higher. To Learn more about the process of Making Moonshine Head over to our page.

: Still Temperature Guide For Making Moonshine

What does boiling a mason jar do?

Burning Issue: Pre-Sterilizing Jars before Canning

New canning jars out of the box are not sterile. Being in a box or covered in plastic wrap is not the same as a sterile environment. In addition to contamination by microorganisms that cannot be seen with our bare eyes, packaged jars may accumulate dust, small bits of debris, and even chips of glass in the case of breakage (which does happen sometimes in all the steps of transport from factory to store to home).

Whether brand new or re-used many times over, you should always clean jars just prior to filling them when canning. Wash jars in a dishwasher or by hand, using detergent and rinsing well. Clean jars should then be kept warm prior to filling. You can leave them in the closed dishwasher after the cycle, or use your canner as it is preheating, or create a separate water bath that will keep the jars both clean and warm.

Washing is also a good time to inspect jars for any cracks or chips, discarding or re-purposing those jars for non-canning uses if any imperfections are found. If you see scales or film from hard water left on your jars, then remove this by soaking jars for several hours in a solution containing 1 cup of vinegar (5% acidity) per gallon of water.

In order to actually sterilize jars, they need to be submerged in (covered by) boiling water for 10 minutes. When the process time for canning a food is 10 minutes or more (at 0-1,000 feet elevation), the jars will be sterilized DURING processing in the canner. Therefore, when process times are 10 minutes or more at this altitude, pre- sterilization of jars is not needed.

It doesn’t hurt your product to do it anyway, but it does require additional time and energy and is unnecessary. To pre-sterilize jars, place the cleaned jars right-side-up on a rack in a canner and fill the jars and canner with water to 1-inch above the tops of the jars.

• Bring the water to a boil and then boil for 10 minutes at altitudes less than 1,000 feet elevation.
• Add 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 feet of elevation.
• When you are ready to fill the jars, remove the jars one at a time, carefully emptying the water from them back into the canner.
• This will keep the hot water in the canner for processing filled jars.

Sometimes people choose to increase a 5-minute process time (at 0-1,000 feet elevation) for certain jams and jellies to 10 minutes so that they do not have to pre-sterilize the jars. The extra process time is not harmful to most gels and spoilage should not be an issue as long as the filled jars get a full 10-minute treatment in boiling water.

1. And remember your altitude adjustments to increase this process time as needed.) So, in summary: Is a 5-minute process time enough to sterilize jars? No.
2. If you are using a process time of only 5 minutes, such as for some jellied products, then you need to pre-sterilize jars before filling them (or increase the process time to the equivalent of 10 minutes at 0-1,000 ft elevation).

If a process time is 10 minutes or more then will the jars be sterilized? Yes, if you are at 0-1,000 feet elevation, but be sure to wash and rinse them well, and keep warm, before filling them with food. If you are processing above 1,000 feet elevation, then you need to consider the altitude adjustments needed to sterilize jars so you use the equivalent to 10 minutes of boiling at 0-1,000 feet elevation.

How do you increase the proof of moonshine?

Copper Mesh, Raschig Rings, and Glass Beads – Packing a distillation column with copper scrubbers, raschig rings, or glass distilling beads is the easiest way for a commercial distiller to increase the final proof of distilled alcohol. The packing material increases final proof by causing a slight natural reflux action in the column.

Commercial distillers will find that this also makes a better tasting product. If copper packing material is used, it simultaneously removes sulfur compounds from the vapor. As vapor moves up through the column it migrates through a network of material that is a slightly lower temperature than the boiler, etc.

For example copper mesh forms a thermal bridge between the cooler edges of the column and the center of the column (because it’s super conductive). It creates an abundance of surface area that is just slightly below the condensing temperature of water (but ideally above the condensing temp of alcohol), providing opportunity for water vapor to turn back into a liquid while allowing the alcohol vapor to move on.

What is the difference between a thumper keg and a slobber box?

Re: Thumper keg and Slobber box – Post by rbw65 » Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:53 am If you electric chances are very slim it will puke or boil out as the temp is pretty steady. As someone already stated the the temp will rise as alcohol evaporates, thats when you need to watch it, thats the tails I smell fellas.shut er down. Keep em clean, Keep em lit

What is the best liquid for a thumper?

Best Thumper Keg Guide If you have never heard of a thumper keg before, don’t worry, you aren’t the only one! A thumper keg is a great tool for distillers or alcohol enthusiasts as these kegs can help distill your initial mash into a higher-proof spirit without having to run your low wine through a pot still for a second time.

• Thumper kegs have a wide range of uses, such as making essential oils, but distilling and making moonshine or are the most common reasons to own a thumper keg.
• If you’re not sure if you should purchase your own thumper keg, or you are just curious, and you’d like some more information on these kegs, then keep reading this thumper keg guide.
• I have provided a whole rundown on all the most important facts you should know about thumper kegs and even a list of the best thumper kegs you can buy based on their construction, quality, and versatility,
• Best overall :

The Vevor alcohol distiller comes complete with copper tubing to help circulate your home brewing kit pump for the best tasting whisky, or brandy you can boil up. With great reviews and a perfect price, the Vevor alcohol distiller model is my favorite overall brand.

Best for People Who Already Have a still : This is a super high-quality thumper attachment for an eight-gallon pot still. The still is not included, so this is best for someone who already has some distilling experience and is looking to add a thumper to their arsenal. Best Price : If you are interested in trying out a thumper keg but don’t want to commit to a very large one, then a mason jar kit would be perfect for you.

We’ve all seen those iconic mason jar moonshine jars, so this takes out the middleman and allows you to create your own moonshine right in the jar. A thumper keg (also known as a thump keg, thump barrel, or thump chest) is attached to a still so that it’s not necessary to run a second distillation of low wine to further distill whiskey, bourbon, or other spirits. These kegs basically cut out a step required to strengthen spirits through more rustic stills (like pot stills and moonshine stills), and are very popular among moonshine distillers and home distillers.

Some traditional craft distilleries use them as well, though it’s not as common. Thumper kegs can be made out of pretty much anything, including steel, copper, or even wood. Thumper kegs attach between the pot and condenser of your still, and will distill your low wines a second time to make them more potent.

These are used to make very stronger alcohol by volume liquor. A thumper keg works by putting your alcohol through a second or third distillation within the still without having to start a new run from the beginning. A standard pot still will only distill a liquid once to create a very low,

• A thumper keg will take that lower ABV and distill it up to three more times to create more potency.
• It works by adding a chamber that allows the vapor to cool and condense, resulting in only higher ABV vapors reaching the next step of the process.
• Why would you want this? Well, a single run through a pot still won’t give you the ABV you’re used to seeing in your favorite spirits.

A lot of people prefer a higher-proof spirit to mix into cocktails or to just get the highest alcohol content out of their distillate. A thumper keg works to pull out more alcohol from your mash without having to distill your spirits a second time. If you are someone who does not like, bourbon, or moonshine, maybe a thumper keg isn’t the best investment for you.

1. Or, if you like to drink these types of spirits but do not necessarily have the time to distill your own, you may want to pass on these kegs.
2. But, if you distill or are thinking about tinkering around with distilling, then absolutely a thumper keg would be a great idea for you.
3. They are fun to use, easy to customize, and the best part is you can easily make hundreds of different kinds of spirits and play around with your favorite flavor profiles.

If you are just starting, you will not need a super huge thumper keg. Something around 25 percent to 40 percent the size of your main boiler will do just perfectly.

1. If you want to play around with other flavors, such as botanicals, or you are working with larger volumes low wines, you may want to consider a thumper keg that is at least 50 percent the size of your main boiler to give you plenty of room.
2. The larger your main boiler is, the larger your thumper keg will need to be, as you will need heat to course through your kit in order to up the proof of your spirits.
3. Keep this in mind while you are shopping around for your next thumper keg; always compare it to the size of your main boiler and plant for it to be larger.

A thumper keg is pretty much just like a spirit choice – it’s going to be different for everyone based on his or her personal preference. But, to help you along the way, I’ve created a rundown of some of the basic factors to look for in a thumper keg.

Thumper kegs are traditionally, steel, or wood. For moonshine specifically, wooden thumper kegs are the most common as barrels are typically used for moonshine and, The wood helps infuse woody, natural flavors into your moonshine or whiskey that creates a robust, woodsy finish that people love. A copper or steel thumper keg will bring in a bit more of a refined taste with a neat, clean finish.

These thumper kegs are great for, bourbon, and even some forms of clear spirits. These thumper kegs will give you a smooth taste but may not be as pronounced or versatile as a wooden thumper keg. As I stated before, your thumper keg should be at least 25 percent the size of your main boiler.

1. Ideally, a thumper keg of about 40 percent the size of your main boiler is great as this will allow your spirit to distill effortlessly with a smoother action.
2. The size of your thumper keg really depends on the size of your main boiler and how much of the spirit you want to make.
3. The bigger your thumper keg is, the more moonshine, whiskey, or bourbon you will be able to put out.

Just make sure your main boiler is of matchable size to keep things flowing smoothly. I’ll go into more details about how to infuse flavors into your thumper keg below, but you should know that it is great adding flavors to your spirits. This will add a whole new, complex taste to pretty much anything you are making.

Whether you prefer fruit infused spirits, oaky smokey finishes, or you just love the smell of great raw ingredients such as coffee, herbs, or spices at the back of your nose as you go in for each sip, then feel free to play around with some infusion flavors to create your favorite spirit ever. It’s very important to maintain and clean your thumper kegs to prolong their life.

A great way to maintain your thumper keg is by giving it a good run with a vinegar solution every few months, depending on how often you use it, of course. This will help clear the lines of any residue and will provide fresher tasting spirits each time you make them.

No one wants to have a residual taste of coffee or wood chips if you are trying to make fruit brandy, so keep this in mind before you start another run. Cleaning your thumper keg may be a bit time-consuming, but it is very important to uphold the integrity of your spirit’s taste in the future. The price of your thumper keg will really depend on the type of thumper keg you are buying, the size, and how much comes with it.

For example, a standard kit will be pricier than just a thumper keg alone, and a kit complete with jugs, flavor add-ins, and tubing will cost you much more.

• Overall, if you want to keep it simple, start small and with a kit that comes with easy-to-read instructions to make smaller batches of spirits.
• If you are a pro who is familiar with distilling, then you may even have some of the items on hand that would traditionally come with a kit, so you won’t need a whole lot of extras anyways.
• Infusing flavors into your thumper keg spirits is easy if you follow these basic steps.

Adding fruit-infused spirits into your thumper keg is a must if you love the taste of fruit in your spirits. A thumper keg can be used similarly to a gin basket to infuse your spirit with flavor. Add fresh fruit, spices, citrus peel, or juices to your thumper keg, or add feints that have already been steeped with these raw ingredients. Classic copper moonshine still, this Stampede still comes in a large 3.3-gallon size, so you can make a lot of moonshine with it. It has a three-inch access port and vertical ½ inch piping to give you an accurate boil time. It is constructed from copper sheets and includes a temperature gauge, so you will always know the temperature.

• Made from copper sheets
• Holds 3.3 gallons of liquid
• Includes temperature gauge
• It comes with a locking clamp

• It may be too expensive for some
• Not everyone may prefer copper stills

• Size: 3.3-gallon size
• Price: More than $300
• Range: Made for moonshine
• Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty through the manufacturer

Stampede moonshine stills are best for anyone who is experienced with distilling moonshine and a variety of moonshine flavors. Definitely not for the beginner moonshine distiller. If you’re looking for a thumper to go with a pot still you already own, this is an excellent choice. This three gallon thumper includes a compressor and fits an eight gallon pot still. It includes safety valves, instructions, and everything you need to mount it to your still.

• Made from high-quality materials
• Only purchase what you need
• Simple to use
• Very versatile

• You’ll need a still if you don’t already have one
• It’s pricier than many other options
• For the best fit, pair it with a Mile Hi still

• Size: Can hold up to 3 gallons
• Price: More than $450
• Fits an eight gallon still
• Still not included

This kit is best for anyone who already has a pot still and just wants a high-quality thumper keg. VEVOR has made a wonderful moonshine still kit that can hold up to five gallons of alcohol. This kit comes with copper tubing with a high-capacity circulating pump, so you are getting a good temperature swirl of water. This also comes with a built-in thermometer so you can easily see where your temperatures are at all times.

• Holds 5 gallons
• Copper tubing
• Circulating pump
• Built-in thermometer
• Full kit – not just the thumper keg

• It may be too simple for some
• Smaller size

• Size: Five gallons
• Price: Less than $130
• Range: Wide range
• Warranty: Free returns through Amazon Prime

This kit is best for anyone who is just starting out who is interested in making brandy. This is an easy-to-use kit, but it is not of a very high capacity, so it may not be great for ongoing distillers. A bit larger than the last VEVOR stilling kit we just saw, this kit holds a larger, 9.6-gallon capacity. This kit is ideal for making whisky and brandy as it comes with a professional-grade water alcohol distiller and a copper tub within the pots. Much like the previous version, this kit also comes with a built-in thermometer for temperature precisions at all times.

• Large capacity
• Built-in thermometer
• Stainless steel
• Fast cooling
• Full still kit

• It may be too large for some
• Tubing may be too intricate for beginners

• Size: 9.6 gallons
• Price: Less than $200
• Range: Wide range of alcohols
• Warranty: Free returns through Amazon Prime

This VEVOR kit is best for proficient distillers who prefer to make whisky, wine, or brandy. The intricate pot and tubing system may not be great for beginners. Ideal for moderate to professional distillers, the OLizee brand home brewing and distilling kit comes to compete with a stainless-steel professional construction that has been hand welded. This is a multifunction kit that can be used for distilling fruited wine, other spirits, or even water if you want distilled water.

• Stainless steel construction
• Professional welded inside
• It can be used for various distilling
• One year warranty

• It may be too expensive for some
• It may not be great for beginners

• Size: Can hold up to eight gallons
• Price: More than $250
• Range: Has a wide range of uses
• Warranty: One year warranty through the manufacturer

This kit is best for professional to moderate distillers due to the professional-grade welding design inside of the pots. This kit comes complete with a thumper keg and copper tubing. If you do not want to commit to an entire thumper keg setup, then maybe this simple wide-mouth mason jar design will be better suited for you. This converts a wide-mouth mason jar into a thumper keg. It works on half-gallon mason jars and comes with an inlet pipe inside to prevent any super-hot spots from forming at the bottom of the glass, preventing any breaks or unwanted accidents.

• A smaller, easier to use kit
• Great for moonshine
• Made from copper
• Silver-based lead-free solder

• It may be too small for some
• It holds only a half of a gallon

• Size: Holds half of a gallon
• Price: Less than $40
• Range: Perfect for moonshine
• Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty through the manufacturer

This kit is best for anyone who wants to try making their very own moonshine in a very small batch. It’s great to use on a kitchen counter and would make a great gift for your favorite moonshine lover. Question: What Liquid Do You Put in a Thumper Keg? Answer: You can place pretty much any kind of liquid into a thumper keg before running your still.

Water, mash, low wines, feints, and even fruit juice can be used, and will each impart slightly different flavors or characteristics on your final product. Question: Can I Put Fruit Juice in a Thump Keg? Answer: Yes. You can add fruit juice to your thumper to impart fruit flavors on your distillate. Question: Do You Heat the Thumper Keg? Answer: Some distillers choose to heat the thumper keg, while others don’t.

Often the heat from the main boil is strong enough to keep your thumper hot, but whether or not you need to heat your thump keg will depend on your individual circumstances and personal preference. Question: How do You Clean a Thumper Keg? Answer: Using a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water will get your thumper keg super clean.

So, there you have it, some of the best thumper kegs and kits you can find, along with some super helpful information on how to use a thumper keg. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, there are plenty of thumper kegs here that will get you well on your way to making the tastiest moonshine,, or brandy yet.

Personally, I’d pick the Vevor Alcohol Distiller for its overall design, function, and price point. Did you find this article useful? We hope you did. Do you have any experience working with a thumper keg and distilling your own spirits? We would love to hear from you! Recommended Reads: : Best Thumper Keg Guide

Why do you tap a keg?

Beer Tapping Events – A ‘tapping’ is simply the opening of a new beer keg/barrel/cask/firkin, by affixing and opening the tap. A beer tapping event means that one or more brand new kegs will be ‘tapped’, and often implies a new or rare beer to that venue, market, or crowd.

Should you leave a keg tapped?

How long does a tapped keg last? – The method you choose for dispensing your beer also plays a major role in how long your keg stays fresh. Using a kegerator or draft system that dispenses draft beer using CO2 should not impact your beer’s freshness as long as the keg is stored at the proper temperature and pressure.

You can follow the guidelines explained above to determine how long your tapped keg will last. Using a picnic pump, party pump or keg tap is a completely different situation. These introduce oxygen into your keg, which greatly speeds up the process of beer going bad. Since a picnic pump uses oxygen instead of carbon dioxide, a tapped keg will only last about 12-24 hours, depending on the type of beer and how much oxygen was pumped into it.

The oxygen will cause the beer to go flat and spoil quickly if you don’t finish the keg within that time frame.