Morning all!

[Hogwasher]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Just to introduce myself: I have a couple of years experience brewing beer in 24 litre batches (5+ galls for those in USA) and have just been given a smallish Chinese potstill. A present from wife and son who obviously are trying either to keep me longer in the garage, or are hoping I will drink or poison myself into an early grave. Either way, I'm exited to learn from your combined wisdom and ask loads of dumb questions. Hope you can guide me in my first attempts to make something along the lines of a rum either dark or spiced. I'll post more specific questions in the relevant board. Meanwhile, please be gentle as I'm just a newbie. Regards
Hogwasher

[Bushman]

Welcome to the forum, small stills are hard to make cuts but can be done. One of our members Bigbob makes a good drop and has a small still. Pictures of your set-up would be great!

[fizzix]

Naw I'm afraid you have to go through a hazing period ...
You must've given SOME signal that they were kind enough to get you a still. Home Distiller is the correct next step.
Seriously, do prepare for a little hazing because Chinese stills here are like rice burner bikes to Harley riders.
But WELCOME to you. We'll help you out.

[rgreen2002]

Pictures of your set-up would be great!

+1 Some of these "Chinese Stills" can be a mess and we don't want to see you getting into trouble from the get-go. Post a few pics so we can get a look at it for you. Welcome to a fine place for information.

[nuntius01]

welcome, pic link is below. have fun with it and lots f guys here willing to help

[Hogwasher]

Thanks to Dr Fizzix for the weather warning. Serious Hazing! I can see you're all keen to have a look and laugh at my potstill, so I'll pass on that right now. So, I gave it a gentle run with 4litres of old fruit wines (Mixed origins by included a couple of bottles marked Banana) just to see how it performed. Well, it certainly does. Building up the temperatures really gently and collecting fractions (30-50 ml), I could really smell the changes in character of the distillate, starting with distinct paintstripper aroma through to an almost acceptable rummy smell (bananas I guess). So, Rum here I come.
Loads of questions to put on the boards. Where should I ask about water treatments for primary fermentation - or don't we bother with that? And can I use Tate and Lyles black treacle instead of Blackstrap molasses? Show me to the boards boys.....