Basalt Generator
Beginner Java + Bedrock
Produces: Infinite basalt - the Nether's cobblestone, and a handsome building block
Quick answer: Lava flowing into a space above soul soil, next to blue ice, turns into basalt. One lava bucket, one block of soul soil, one of blue ice - infinite Nether stone with zero mining trips to the basalt deltas.
How it works
- The recipe is exact: lava must flow into a block space that sits directly on top of soul soil AND is adjacent to blue ice - the flowing lava is replaced by basalt.
- Only flowing lava is replaced with basalt: lava flowing into the space on top of soul soil and next to blue ice.
- Blue ice drops nothing without Silk Touch and does not melt near light; 9 packed ice craft 1 block.
- You need soul soil, which generates in soul sand valleys.
- The generator works in any dimension, so you can produce basalt in the Overworld.
Materials
- 1 lava bucket
- 1 soul soil block (soul sand valley)
- 1 blue ice block (Silk Touch on icebergs, or 9 packed ice crafted)
- Building blocks for the frame
- A pickaxe - Efficiency recommended, basalt is tougher than cobblestone
Build steps
- Place the soul soil on the floor of the frame.
- Place the blue ice beside the space where basalt will form - one block to the side at the same height.
- Set the lava source one block above that space so it flows down into the gap: lava touching the spot above soul soil and beside blue ice becomes basalt.
- Mine the basalt; the lava flows in again and a new block forms immediately.
- Stand to the side, not on the generation block.
- Build several columns, one lava source per column.
- Mine blue ice with Silk Touch; without it, it drops nothing.
- Use basalt as a building material (its only current use).
Rates
Manual generation gives roughly a stack every minute or two per column - slower than cobblestone because basalt is harder, but infinite once built. Each column costs one lava source, nothing else is consumed.
Tips
- Pack a spare lava bucket in case of spills.
- Craft blue ice from 9 packed ice if you do not want to mine icebergs.
- Basalt only drops with a pickaxe; any other tool drops nothing.
- Source: minecraft.wiki Basalt and Blue Ice.