#THUMPER KEG INSTALL#

This particular design was adapted because it eliminates the need for a thumper keg by only allowing pure vapor and no sediment to flow through to the condenser. When you look at our copper stills, you'll notice that they have a unique onion-head. The problem with thumper kegs, which are now usually used for high-production runs, is that they can strip flavor from your whiskey.

It also catches unwanted sediment that might otherwise flow through to your end product. So, in effect, the thumper acts like a second distillation process to increase the strength of the distillate. The thumper keg collects this output, which condenses out as a substance known as 'low wine.' Then, as more hot vapor flows through this low wine in the thumper, it gets heated to the boiling point of alcohol and the vapor that then flows into the condensing unit has a higher alcohol content – typically around 85 percent. It was traditionally used in hillbilly stills to increase the alcohol content of the distillate because, traditional stills only output product with about a 50-60 percent alcohol content.

Before we answer that, it might be helpful to explain just what this contraption is.īasically, a thumper keg is a container that is installed in the distillation apparatus between the still pot and the condenser.

#THUMPER KEG INSTALL#

One of the most popular questions we get here is whether or not it's necessary to install a thumper keg on our stills to have success in distilling.

Thumper keg