How to Make a Potion of Infestation in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Brew a potion of Infestation by adding a stone block to an awkward potion in a brewing stand. It applies the Infested effect for 3 minutes: when the affected mob is hit, it has a 10% chance to spawn 1-2 silverfish nearby.

What you need

Brewing stand + blaze powder fuel
Nether wart + water bottles (for awkward potions)
1 stone block (smelted cobblestone)
Gunpowder / dragon's breath (optional, splash and lingering)

Step by step

Set up a brewing stand and fuel it with blaze powder.
Brew water bottles with nether wart to make awkward potions, the base for almost every potion.
Smelt cobblestone in a furnace to get smooth stone. Yes, plain stone is the brewing ingredient.
Place up to 3 awkward potions in the bottom slots of the brewing stand.
Put the stone in the ingredient slot on top.
Wait 20 seconds. You now have potions of Infestation that last 3 minutes.
Optional: add gunpowder for splash potions, then dragon's breath for lingering potions. This effect cannot be extended or amplified.

Java vs Bedrock

Infestation was added in 1.21 in both editions, brewed identically in each, with no extended or level II version. The spawned silverfish count toward raid and farm mechanics, so Infestation sees use in silverfish XP farms: splash a tanky mob, hit it repeatedly and let the silverfish pile up.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

What does the Infested effect do?

While a mob has Infested, every hit it takes has a 10% chance to spawn 1-2 silverfish near it. The potion gives the effect for 3 minutes.

What is Infestation brewed with?

A plain stone block, the smelted version of cobblestone. It is one of the cheapest potion ingredients in the game once you have nether wart.

What is Infestation good for?

Silverfish farms. Applying Infested to a mob and hitting it repeatedly spawns silverfish that can be funneled and killed for XP or used in custom maps. It is niche but unique.