StillSmart

I've just bought a mini copper mushroom pot still from eBay to experiment with small batches and maybe make some fruit brandies.

I decided to just test run it first with a basic sugar wash.

I was heating it on an electric hob and it started smelling of burning.

I hardly ever use the cooker - I'm a strictly microwave only chef so maybe it was just burning off some debris.

Is it ok to heat copper pots on electric hobs? Thanks.

Should be.

If you haven't used it for a while you would be right thinking it is debris.

Cheers Mash. Will give it another try after X Factor

Have you washed it?
Run a cleaning run of some sort of weak acid through it?
Saccrificial run?

Copper pots on lecky hobs fine.

Maybe a dusty hotplate?

Robert.

The only issue that springs to mind is the way that electric hobs cycle between full power and off. This could make the pot surge boil, so you might want to consider just putting a thick bit of either copper or aluminium plate between the hob and the copper pot.

The pot was nice an clean so don't think that was it. It happened as soon as I turned it on so it didn't have time to overheat.

I'm thinking it was probably a dusty hotplate. I'm going to give it another try tonight with a sacrificial run as Robert suggests if the pot fits in my stainless steel frying pan, I may try that too.

Might your shiney new still have a coating of something to keep it shiney. If so, that may have objected to the heat. Or a dusty hob.

Smokey still seemed to be down to nothing more than a dusty hotplate. Could probably do with improving my cleaning regime!

Thats an interesting bit of kit Seagull
Whats the capacity and what did they
rush you for it?

5 litres and cost £75 including postage. Just couldn't resist adding something shiny to the out of control collection!!

Nice one