Can Clay Go in a Blast Furnace in Minecraft?

The short answer is yes, clay can go in a blast furnace in Minecraft. However, it’s essential to understand what it will produce and how it differs from using a standard furnace. While a blast furnace is primarily known for its speed at smelting ores and certain gear, it does indeed have a role in processing clay, as we will explore in this article.

Blast Furnace vs. Regular Furnace: Understanding the Key Differences

To fully grasp why you might use a blast furnace for clay, let’s first outline the critical distinctions between it and a regular furnace. A blast furnace is a specialized smelting block introduced in the Village & Pillage update, primarily designed for processing raw ores and specific metal-based items: iron, gold, and chainmail armor and tools. Its key advantage is speed; it smelts items twice as fast as a regular furnace. However, this speed comes at a slight cost, as it also gives half of the experience points.

A regular furnace, on the other hand, is far more versatile. It can smelt a much broader range of items, including ores, food, blocks, and other materials. It is generally the go-to option for smelting items like logs into charcoal or cooking raw food.

How Does This Relate to Clay?

This is where things get interesting. Both the blast furnace and the regular furnace can smelt clay. The output is the same – Terracotta. Therefore, the choice between which furnace to use is often based on convenience and speed needs for specific circumstances.

Smelting Clay in a Blast Furnace

When you place a clay block into a blast furnace, just like a regular furnace, it will be smelted into Terracotta. The blast furnace operates at double the speed. This means if you need a large quantity of Terracotta quickly, and you aren’t concerned about the reduced XP, the blast furnace is an efficient choice. This process can also be used to help obtain colored terracotta by smelting dyed clay blocks.

Why Use a Blast Furnace for Clay?

• Speed: The primary reason to use a blast furnace for clay is its faster smelting time. If you’re planning on building with a lot of terracotta, this can save you a considerable amount of time.
• Efficiency for Large Batches: When dealing with large quantities of clay, the blast furnace’s ability to smelt twice as fast makes it a better choice for efficiency.
• Existing Setup: If you already have a blast furnace set up for processing ores, you might opt to use it for clay smelting as well.

What to Note when Smelting Clay

• Same Output: Regardless of the furnace type used, you will always get Terracotta from smelting a clay block.
• No Special Boost: Clay will not yield any special bonus for being smelted in a blast furnace (unlike ores which are twice as fast compared to furnaces). The key benefit is just the speed.
• Experience Points: A blast furnace gives only half the xp as a normal furnace while smelting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions related to smelting clay and the blast furnace in Minecraft:

1. What can you not put in a blast furnace?

A blast furnace will not process food or any blocks other than raw ores or metal tools/armor made of iron, gold or chainmail. So you cannot put logs, sand, or food items in a blast furnace.

2. What can you smelt in a blast furnace?

Blast furnaces can smelt raw ores and items made of iron, gold, or chainmail. This includes tools and armor crafted from these materials. It will also smelt clay.

3. Can you make terracotta in a blast furnace?

Yes, you can make terracotta in a blast furnace by smelting clay blocks. The resulting terracotta is the same regardless of whether a furnace or a blast furnace is used.

4. Can you smelt clay in a smoker?

No, a smoker cannot be used to smelt clay. Smokers are exclusively for cooking food items.

5. What is the fastest way to get clay in Minecraft?

The fastest way to get clay is to locate large deposits around bodies of water, like swamps, rivers, and shallow ocean areas. It’s also worth exploring the lush caves, which often have clay deposits. Use a shovel for quick harvesting, and it will drop clay balls.

6. Can you smelt clay to make colored terracotta?

Yes, you can. By crafting the clay into a dyed clay block first, you can smelt the dyed clay block to get colored terracotta.

7. Does fortune work on clay?

No, the Fortune enchantment does not increase the number of clay balls dropped when you break a clay block. Only Silk Touch can prevent clay balls and let the block drop itself.

8. What happens when you smelt hardened clay?

Smelting hardened clay, which is also known as terracotta, creates glazed terracotta. This process was introduced in a later update.

9. Can mud turn into clay in Minecraft?

Yes, mud can turn into clay. You can create mud by using a water bottle on a dirt block. Placing mud above a dripstone block with a dripstone point will slowly leach out the water, creating a clay block.

10. Can you cook anything in a smoker?

Smokers are designed specifically for cooking food items, and nothing else. It does this at twice the speed of a standard furnace.

11. Is blast furnace gas toxic in real life?

Yes, in real life, blast furnace gas is toxic. It’s a byproduct of industrial iron production, containing high levels of carbon monoxide. In Minecraft, though, blast furnaces do not generate toxic gas and are perfectly safe to use.

12. What block burns forever in Minecraft?

Netherrack is the block that burns forever once ignited. This makes it useful for creating permanent light sources.

13. Do blast furnaces give less XP?

Yes, blast furnaces provide half of the XP compared to a regular furnace when smelting.

14. What is the most efficient way to smelt ore?

The most efficient way to smelt ore is by using a blast furnace due to its double speed. If you have enough fuel and are not focusing on XP gains, it’s faster.

15. What can you do with terracotta?

Terracotta is mainly used for building. It’s a decorative block that is frequently used in a variety of builds. By smelting terracotta you get glazed terracotta, which is an ornamental block type, adding to the variety of building materials.

Final Thoughts

While a blast furnace isn’t typically the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about clay processing, it’s a perfectly viable option for those looking to speed up their terracotta production. Remember, if you want speed and have a lot of clay, the blast furnace is your friend. If XP is what you’re after, stick with the trusty old regular furnace. Happy crafting!