You can make lava renewable in Minecraft with a lava source, pointed dripstone and a cauldron. The cauldron fills slowly over time; “infinite” means you can collect and replenish the supply, not that lava appears instantly.
What you need
- A lava source block
- Pointed dripstone
- A solid support block
- A cauldron
- A bucket to collect the lava
Mojang describes cauldrons as containers for liquids including lava, and pointed dripstone can sometimes fill a cauldron placed below a stalactite. See Mojang’s Dripstone article.
How to build a lava farm
- Place a solid support block where you want the dripstone to hang.
- Put a lava source block directly above that support block.
- Attach pointed dripstone to the underside of the support block so it hangs down as a stalactite.
- Place a cauldron below the dripstone tip. It can touch the tip, or you can leave air between them. Do not put any other block in the vertical space between the tip and cauldron.
- Wait for the cauldron to fill. When it contains lava, collect it with a bucket; the cauldron can fill again.
For safety, enclose the lava with nonflammable blocks and keep flammable building materials away from it.
Placement rules that matter
- The lava must be a source block directly above the block holding the pointed dripstone.
- The stalactite must be shorter than 11 blocks.
- The cauldron must be no more than 10 blocks below the dripstone tip.
- No non-air block can interrupt the vertical path from the tip to the cauldron. An air gap is optional; the cauldron may sit directly under the tip.
These layout limits are documented in the Minecraft Wiki’s lava-farming tutorial.
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How long does it take?
Filling is governed by random ticks, so there is no fixed countdown. The Minecraft Wiki tutorial gives a 15/256 chance—about 5.9%—of filling on a relevant random tick and estimates an average interval of about 19 minutes under its stated random-tick assumptions. That is an average, not a promise for any individual cauldron; waits can be shorter or longer.
Adding more identical cauldrons gives you more places to collect from, but does not guarantee a particular total output over a set period.
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Why isn’t my cauldron filling?
- Check that the lava is a source block, not flowing lava.
- Make sure the source sits directly above the support block the dripstone hangs from.
- Confirm the stalactite is shorter than 11 blocks and the cauldron is within 10 blocks of its tip.
- Remove any solid block between the dripstone tip and the cauldron.
- Give the farm time. Drip particles do not mean the cauldron will fill immediately.
Does this work the same in Java and Bedrock?
The sources cited here confirm the basic dripstone-and-cauldron mechanic but do not establish that every detail, timing estimate or automated design is identical across Java and Bedrock or across all game versions. If a particular build matters, check it in the edition and version you play rather than assuming exact parity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to get a cauldron
Mojang says a cauldron can be crafted from seven iron ingots arranged in a U shape, or found in the world. See Mojang’s Cauldron article.
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