Moonshiners' 'Thumpers': Myth or Reality?

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

If the refractometers don't work out... Shake a bottle!

Quote: Originally posted by aga

ah. Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBlTBk-3KYM

Quote: Originally posted by aga

208 is a lot of centigrade, so i assume you mean Farenheit ( or 97C). That implies it's the liquid temperature rather than the Vapor temperature, which is what i watch in normal distillations. For the experiment, there will hopefully be 3 thermometers: 1 for each stillhead for the Vapor temperatures, and one in the Thumper Liquid. [Edited on 19-2-2015 by aga]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   Key to the thumper is having the vapor inlet as close to the bottom as can be done. In fact touching the bottom is the way a proper thump is run. It creates smaller bubbles, and allows for more vapor / liquid interaction. If i'd have known that, i'd have ordered a frit as well !

Quote: Originally posted by Loptr

Quote: Originally posted by aga   Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   Key to the thumper is having the vapor inlet as close to the bottom as can be done. In fact touching the bottom is the way a proper thump is run. It creates smaller bubbles, and allows for more vapor / liquid interaction. If i'd have known that, i'd have ordered a frit as well ! Stuff some glass wool into the tube. It will help to disperse the gas. (EDIT) Hell, since we are doing it thumper-style, wrap any sort of non-reactive meshing around the end of the tube. Anything that can force gas bubbles to burst as they exit the down tube. [Edited on 19-2-2015 by Loptr]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   If the refractometers don't work out... Shake a bottle! Explain please. Does shaking a bottle of distillate *sound* different or something, depending on EtOH concentration ?

LOL No!

It's the bubbles. Hillbilly trick.

Large long lasting bubbles indicate higher proof, and small short lived bubbles indicate lower proof.

It's a comparative "skill". When you retrieve your final samples. I'l wager you will be able to see the difference if you shake them in small sample bottles.

Make a Vid, and post it. I'll tell you the proof.

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH

Quote: Originally posted by aga   ah. Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBlTBk-3KYM Yup, 'dis er here is good alk-e-hol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNwR6U6r7M

He's repeating what he heard but explaining it incorrectly.
Long liver bubbles are higher proof.

Try this at home kids! Jack Daniels may be in your future.

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH

Aga, if you get enrichment, can you please try two thumpers in series as well (if you have the glassware)?

Quote: Originally posted by aga

The Key point missed was that a Thumper introduces a Time factor to the distillate concentration, in that you should first get a Higher ethanol concentration in the Early distillate, which steadily decreases over the Time of the run.

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH

Yup, 'dis er here is good alk-e-hol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNwR6U6r7M

Aga, please get some billy dungarees. I'll send you the 'ABTT' cap ('Aga Blogfast Thumpy Team')!

"ABTT ROCKS!!!"

[Edited on 19-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH

Aga, if you get enrichment, can you please try two thumpers in series as well (if you have the glassware)?

No thumper greed please, we're Britbillies!

Quote: Originally posted by aga

Blogfast25 has roped me in to do the dirty work, as he's currently 100% committed to skiiving. Here's the photos of what Bloggers and i think will provide a fair approximation of a Thumper, using standard glassware. Any thoughts or suggestions ?

1. Is that skiing, skydiving, or skivie-ing?

2. How are you going to sample the vapor off the boiler - I see no sample tap?

3. I thought the "thumping" sound would be from collapsing bubbles of vapor.

[Edited on 19-2-2015 by Magpie]

[Edited on 19-2-2015 by Magpie]

[Edited on 19-2-2015 by Magpie]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

BritBillies simply cannot spelly incorrectly, never mind sayz stuff like dang. Deys dang fools, hot damn. However one plays the Ukelale rather well.

I suspect Bloggers has done a side experiment, and doesn't want to share the data just yet.

I asked ...

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

1. Is that skiing, skydiving, or skivie-ing?

Quote: Originally posted by aga

I suspect Bloggers has done a side experiment, and doesn't want to share the data just yet. I asked ...

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

Is that Bloggers, or the consultant he flew in from Appalacia?

Explain?

Britain is the NEW Appalachia!

[Edited on 19-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

I suspect Bloggers has done a side experiment, and doesn't want to share the data just yet. I asked ...

Quote: Originally posted by aga

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH   Aga, if you get enrichment, can you please try two thumpers in series as well (if you have the glassware)? If the data shows that it works, we probably will. For the record, i'm just the pot boiling moonshine monkey, and the Science is all up to Bloggers. Personally i can see that the original heated debate was all about a Thumper not being able to magically defy the laws of physics. The Key point missed was that a Thumper introduces a Time factor to the distillate concentration, in that you should first get a Higher ethanol concentration in the Early distillate, which steadily decreases over the Time of the run. Over an Entire run, until the last drop of ethanol is extracted, there is no difference at all, as thermodynamics et al predict correctly. For the purposes of Drinking the stuff, Flavour is important (can't imagine why), so that would be a more important factor than the overall efficiency to moonshiners.

Quote: Originally posted by aga

We don't know for certain (either way) at this point, hence the Experiment. The Data will tell us all more. Personally i think that the boiling pot effectively transfers heat and most of it's ethanol into the thumper, which, due to the heat, boils, but starts boiling at a Higher ethanol concentration than the original boiling pot. Higher starting ethanol conc = higher distillate conc. Then, the boiling pot can only pour steam & heat into the thumper, which continues heating it, yet also dilutes it, lowering the Output EtOH concentration over Time. That's My theory, and i'm sticking to it or i win/lose a fiver. [Edited on 19-2-2015 by aga]

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH   Yup, 'dis er here is good alk-e-hol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNwR6U6r7M Aga, please get some billy dungarees. I'll send you the 'ABTT' cap ('Aga Blogfast Thumpy Team')! "ABTT ROCKS!!!" [Edited on 19-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Zomb: Conversion F to C: T(°C) = (T(°F) - 32) × 5/9 http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/temperature/how-fahrenhei...

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by aga   BritBillies simply cannot spelly incorrectly, never mind sayz stuff like dang. Deys dang fools, hot damn. However one plays the Ukelale rather well. Hotdigirrydoo? "It's a long way to Tipperary!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqrAPOZxgzU [Edited on 19-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

I suspect Bloggers has done a side experiment, and doesn't want to share the data just yet. I asked ...

Thats' Popcorn Sutton. He actually has an amazing life story. It's worth looking up.

He committed suicide rather than do federal time for moonshining.
The man is estimated to have made 3 million dollars worth of liquor in his lifetime.

Here is the foot stone from his grave.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie   Is that Bloggers, or the consultant he flew in from Appalacia? Explain? Britain is the NEW Appalachia! [Edited on 19-2-2015 by blogfast25]

You guys are all gonna do time fer moonshinin'

Quote: Originally posted by aga

I think heeen got a purty mouth, hot dang.

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

That's a shame. We should be protecting our moonshiners as a tourist attraction.

When in Nashville to attend a technical meeting I made a side trip to Lynchburg, TN and toured the Jack Daniels distillery. They use large distillation columns, bubble-cap plates IIRC, and activated self-made charcoal lumps to absorb the nasties. It's ironic that this is all located in a "dry" county. Therefore they couldn't provide us tourists with a sample of their famous sippin' whiskey.

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

They use large distillation columns, bubble-cap plates IIRC, [...]

Quote: Originally posted by chemrox

I think you're all wrong about this-seriously-the thumper allows a takeoff for co-distilling water and byproducts that come off early. If you used a fractionating still you'd get almost pure ethanol/water 95%. With a gooseneck and thumper you get a liquor. The thumper keep the liquor from being "too flavorful." The stuff called fusel oil is made up of higher boiling alcohols. Higher boiling but not so high boiling they don't co-distill with the ethanol/water but a lot of them drop out just after the first bend in the copper. This is where the thumper collects them. I'm going to make one with glass and try it with different columns and straight still configurations.

This is where a smart distiller will add flavors. In the Thump.
I think I mentioned it already... Apples, oranges, hell... Pumpkin Pie spice. You can modify the flavor profile at the same time as increasing the ABV.
For an inefficient tool it is actually very versatile. Add pure water to strip the flavor of a bad mash (lower abv as well), add white lightening to up the ABV of a weak mash, add flavors, or just up the proof of any old mash.

Them Billies done good in my book. but to qualify I still believe Fahrenheit is real.

[Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

Them Billies done good in my book. but to qualify I still believe Fahrenheit is real.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   Them Billies done good in my book. but to qualify I still believe Fahrenheit is real. It IS real, it's just not used in science. There are good reasons for that. Fahrenheit was an excellent thermometer maker, for his time. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

What are the reasons? Serious.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   What are the reasons? Serious. Unification of measurement units. Facilitates trade. The SI system. F is now only used in a few countries and a few British die-hards. The need to convert. Thermodynamics really only works with Kelvin. K = C + 273.15. Absolute zero is 0 K. Easier to convert from C to K than from F to K.

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

I can see that +32 ,5/9ths... Ill use the software.

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

Quote: Originally posted by chemrox   I think you're all wrong about this-seriously-the thumper allows a takeoff for co-distilling water and byproducts that come off early. If you used a fractionating still you'd get almost pure ethanol/water 95%. With a gooseneck and thumper you get a liquor. The thumper keep the liquor from being "too flavorful." The stuff called fusel oil is made up of higher boiling alcohols. Higher boiling but not so high boiling they don't co-distill with the ethanol/water but a lot of them drop out just after the first bend in the copper. This is where the thumper collects them. I'm going to make one with glass and try it with different columns and straight still configurations. This is where a smart distiller will add flavors. In the Thump. I think I mentioned it already... Apples, oranges, hell... Pumpkin Pie spice. You can modify the flavor profile at the same time as increasing the ABV. For an inefficient tool it is actually very versatile. Add pure water to strip the flavor of a bad mash (lower abv as well), add white lightening to up the ABV of a weak mash, add flavors, or just up the proof of any old mash. Them Billies done good in my book. but to qualify I still believe Fahrenheit is real. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   I can see that +32 ,5/9ths... Ill use the software. How about a billy calculator? https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=calcular+large&biw=109... How hard can it be? Take number, subtract 32. Take result, multiply by five and divide by nine! Doh! [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

I had one of those, and I lost it somewhere.

Quote: Originally posted by Luke

I just realised that a carter head gin basket is basically like a little thumper. My flatmate wanted to make some gin so we might use a thump design to do it on the cheap. Will be made on neutral though, no corn based hillbilly gin for us! Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   Quote: Originally posted by chemrox   I think you're all wrong about this-seriously-the thumper allows a takeoff for co-distilling water and byproducts that come off early. If you used a fractionating still you'd get almost pure ethanol/water 95%. With a gooseneck and thumper you get a liquor. The thumper keep the liquor from being "too flavorful." The stuff called fusel oil is made up of higher boiling alcohols. Higher boiling but not so high boiling they don't co-distill with the ethanol/water but a lot of them drop out just after the first bend in the copper. This is where the thumper collects them. I'm going to make one with glass and try it with different columns and straight still configurations. This is where a smart distiller will add flavors. In the Thump. I think I mentioned it already... Apples, oranges, hell... Pumpkin Pie spice. You can modify the flavor profile at the same time as increasing the ABV. For an inefficient tool it is actually very versatile. Add pure water to strip the flavor of a bad mash (lower abv as well), add white lightening to up the ABV of a weak mash, add flavors, or just up the proof of any old mash. Them Billies done good in my book. but to qualify I still believe Fahrenheit is real. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie] Are you going to take a video aga?

Quote: Originally posted by chemrox

The stuff called fusel oil is made up of higher boiling alcohols. Higher boiling but not so high boiling they don't co-distill with the ethanol/water but a lot of them drop out just after the first bend in the copper. This is where the thumper collects them. I'm going to make one with glass and try it with different columns and straight still configurations.

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

Quote: Originally posted by chemrox   The stuff called fusel oil is made up of higher boiling alcohols. Higher boiling but not so high boiling they don't co-distill with the ethanol/water but a lot of them drop out just after the first bend in the copper. This is where the thumper collects them. I'm going to make one with glass and try it with different columns and straight still configurations. Fusel oil, I understand, is mostly amyl alcohol. I've been trying to figure out how to synthesize this for years. Yeah, I know you can buy it. But what's the fun in that.

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie   Quote: Originally posted by chemrox   The stuff called fusel oil is made up of higher boiling alcohols. Higher boiling but not so high boiling they don't co-distill with the ethanol/water but a lot of them drop out just after the first bend in the copper. This is where the thumper collects them. I'm going to make one with glass and try it with different columns and straight still configurations. Fusel oil, I understand, is mostly amyl alcohol. I've been trying to figure out how to synthesize this for years. Yeah, I know you can buy it. But what's the fun in that. You're going to have to look this up but I believe the fuesil's come from the spent or dead yeast cells. My grandfather had told me to never use too much yeast because you get more "tails", and that's where the Fueslis come in. Theses keytones, and alcohols have a higher BP than EtOH, and near that of water. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

And this one, despite the beautiful construction, seems to have over engineered his thumpy a little bit: http://ww.homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6...

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH

Yes... that coil around the thumper seems totally redundant.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH   Yes... that coil around the thumper seems totally redundant. In another variant I saw, that kind of thumper with an external coil, was then immersed in a (cold) water bath. He called it a 'self-tuning thumper' but provided no elucidation re. the meaning of that term. He's of course only delaying things unnecessarily. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by Luke

Interesting, maybe thats why turbo yeast gives so many fusels, even when doing a 10% wash (it shouldnt stress the yeast) Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   Quote: Originally posted by Magpie   Quote: Originally posted by chemrox   The stuff called fusel oil is made up of higher boiling alcohols. Higher boiling but not so high boiling they don't co-distill with the ethanol/water but a lot of them drop out just after the first bend in the copper. This is where the thumper collects them. I'm going to make one with glass and try it with different columns and straight still configurations. Fusel oil, I understand, is mostly amyl alcohol. I've been trying to figure out how to synthesize this for years. Yeah, I know you can buy it. But what's the fun in that. You're going to have to look this up but I believe the fuesil's come from the spent or dead yeast cells. My grandfather had told me to never use too much yeast because you get more "tails", and that's where the Fueslis come in. Theses keytones, and alcohols have a higher BP than EtOH, and near that of water. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

The active ingredient in "Turbos" is Ammonium Nitrate. Some of them also contain Magnesium Sulfate. Basically they (Turbo yeasts) are Miracle Grow. without the coloring agents. Where or if they have anything to do with Fuesils, I am not smart enough to know.

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25   Quote: Originally posted by deltaH   Yes... that coil around the thumper seems totally redundant. In another variant I saw, that kind of thumper with an external coil, was then immersed in a (cold) water bath. He called it a 'self-tuning thumper' but provided no elucidation re. the meaning of that term. He's of course only delaying things unnecessarily. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25] Yes I also just read about that... seems silly to me because the beauty of the thumper lies in its simplicity, if you're willing to make an improved design then I'd rather build a refluxed tray. Also noticed that they seem to have the problem of not being able to run their stills at high boil up, complaining that when they did, it resulted in a 'hot liquor', I assume that means more crap in the end product... but that just sounds like bad thumper design, specifically a mass transfer issue (inadequate diffuser) leading to vapour by-passing the thumper in effect and so negating the benefit of that stage. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by deltaH]

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH

[...] if you're willing to make an improved design then I'd rather build a refluxed tray.

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

The MgSO4 is a ph buffer. That is all it is there for.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by deltaH   [...] if you're willing to make an improved design then I'd rather build a refluxed tray. Completely second that. A controlled refluxer/tray would be far more efficient and demonstrably effective. Even simpler: a decent fractionating column. Easy peasy and highly effective. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

Patent Pending: Aga's Flames on Wheels Distillation Technique.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   The MgSO4 is a ph buffer. That is all it is there for. Impossible: a salt of an electropositive metal (magnesium) and a strong acid (H2SO4) cannot have buffering properties. It's 'pH', BTW, not 'ph'. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

As i understand it so far, an 'improved' design would be to simply isolate the boiling pot when most of the EtOH has distilled over, and move the fire over to the Thumper.

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

A moonshiner doesn't stop with just one batch. That scenario would be inefficient in the long run as there's the next batch to consider, IMO.

Here's a Pict of a pot / thumper I designed for a friend. This is set up on his kitchen stove.
Beside the pot / thump. it also has a 3' tall packed media column in a Boka still configuration. This rig puts out about one gallon of azeotrope in 2-3 hours running time.

The second pict. is the same rig without the Boka, and a Liebig condenser.

These are just small scale home type rigs. I've built Much larger stills in the past.



[Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

[Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]



[Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

Re: Nutrients - Epson Salts Postby olddog » Wed Dec 16, 2009 3:06 pm Making a good wash is a bit like baking a cake, you need food for the yeast: sugar, Neutrients to keep the yeast healthy, and a healthy enviroment for the yeast to multiply and ferment: the PH level. The acid: lemon juice etc, and the alkaline: epson salts, baking soda etc, provide the correct enviroment for the yeast to live in (PH 4.5 - 5). ...

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie   A moonshiner doesn't stop with just one batch. That scenario would be inefficient in the long run as there's the next batch to consider, IMO. He's only referring to the enrichment aspect, I think. Double distillation. On that point he's right, regardless of practicalities. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

Amazing how "Getting Very Drunk" has produced so many interesting designs and methods. The Computer/Internet is the one human artefact with the most man-hours put into it so far. I bet Making Booze comes a close second.

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

Here's a Pict of a pot / thumper I designed for a friend. This is set up on his kitchen stove. Beside the pot / thump. it also has a 3' tall packed media column in a Boka still configuration. This rig puts out about one gallon of azeotrope in 2-3 hours running time.

All this talk has made me thirsty. Ahhhh!

The refractometer arrived !

I confess i've never seen one before, and will need to play with it to get to grips with it.

The procedure is very simple: put a few drops of the liquid on the glass, close the flap, ensuring no air bubbles, wait 30 secs for the temeratures to equalise, then look through the lens.

Where the Blue meets the White background, you read off the scale your %.

Apologies for the terrible photos taken thru the eyepiece with a crappy webcam.

When you Look into the eyepiece, it is very clear and you see all of the scale.

The highest reading is from a bottle of bacardi labelled 37.5%
I diluted it down for the other two readings.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie   Here's a Pict of a pot / thumper I designed for a friend. This is set up on his kitchen stove. Beside the pot / thump. it also has a 3' tall packed media column in a Boka still configuration. This rig puts out about one gallon of azeotrope in 2-3 hours running time. Where is the likker outlet in that top design? [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Here is a small pict, and the link to a decent build thread.
the vapor is condensed at the top of the column using a "cold finger" coil, and the condensate drips onto a slant plate for collection.
It is a Very slow running still but reaches azeo. when combined with a thumper.

Without a thumper it will produce approx 80 - 85 ABV from start to finish.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36050



[Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

[Edited on 20-2-2015 by Zombie]

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

All this talk has made me thirsty. Ahhhh!

I'm a FireBall Whiskey guy myself. Made my mouth water just posting the pict.

Quote: Originally posted by aga

The refractometer arrived ! I confess i've never seen one before, and will need to play with it to get to grips with it. The procedure is very simple: put a few drops of the liquid on the glass, close the flap, ensuring no air bubbles, wait 30 secs for the temeratures to equalise, then look through the lens. Where the Blue meets the White background, you read off the scale your %. Apologies for the terrible photos taken thru the eyepiece with a crappy webcam. When you Look into the eyepiece, it is very clear and you see all of the scale. The highest reading is from a bottle of bacardi labelled 37.5% I diluted it down for the other two readings.

That is Lovely. The 20% reading is the lowest you want to see for this experiment.
We are trying to replicate the actual running conditions.

I guess it's blind luck there was a bottle of Bacardi lying around.
I'm digging this chemistry stuff!

Quote: Originally posted by aga

The refractometer arrived !

Quote: Originally posted by aga

The refractometer arrived !

Lookin' good. I'll have to get one too.

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

Nice! If you make a scale of refractive index vs %ABV you might have an instrument that can be used for other liquids as well.

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

I see. That part wasn't shown. How do you create a safe seal between these cooking pots and their lids?

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie   Nice! If you make a scale of refractive index vs %ABV you might have an instrument that can be used for other liquids as well. That's probably not gonna work: it's very alcohol specific. Have a look at this: http://www.refractometer.pl/refraction-datasheet-ethanol [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie   Nice! If you make a scale of refractive index vs %ABV you might have an instrument that can be used for other liquids as well. That's probably not gonna work: it's very alcohol specific. Have a look at this: http://www.refractometer.pl/refraction-datasheet-ethanol [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25

Zomb: The 'Boka' looks a bit oversized to me. In the second design, I'd incline the Liebig a bit more.

Look who's gone Billie on us!!!

The Boke is 2" x 36", and it is actually a hybrid. It's media packed (scorcia) to act as a full reflux column, and the Boka portion is simply there for a product take off.

For the second design you will notice the abrupt reduction from 2" pipe to 1/2" pipe. This creates a very high vapor speed that actually will fall out of a condenser with a higher angle.
Believe it or not I actually studied for more than a year on the principles of distillation. I have designed, and built the ONLY concentric / mixed media ethanol column know to exist at the hobby level.

Those pot stills were just to prove out certain math assumptions, and to have some fun.

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

I guess it's blind luck there was a bottle of Bacardi lying around. I'm digging this chemistry stuff!

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25   Quote: Originally posted by deltaH   [...] if you're willing to make an improved design then I'd rather build a refluxed tray. Completely second that. A controlled refluxer/tray would be far more efficient and demonstrably effective. Even simpler: a decent fractionating column. Easy peasy and highly effective. [Edited on 20-2-2015 by blogfast25] That's where all this comes full circle back to the nature of the builders, and operators of thumpers. For the most part they were back woods Tennessee hill folk. The most they understood was basic trading math, and how to fit a lid on a bucket. If you think about the origin, it's actually quite a leap in evolution for them.

I saw a thumper on The Flintstones once!