How to Make a Night Vision Potion in Minecraft

 

 Introduction

 

The night vision potion is an incredibly useful brew in Minecraft that allows a player to see in the dark as if it were daytime. This glowing blue/green potion illuminates everything in sight, letting you navigate caves, fight mobs, and explore the landscapes even during nighttime or in the depths below the surface.

 

Crafting a night vision potion requires some basic but key ingredients that can take some time and effort to acquire. However, once you understand the brewing process and required materials, making night vision potions becomes quick and simple. This potion can serve as an essential aid in any Minecraft player's arsenal for surviving and thriving in the world.

 

In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about successfully brewing night vision potions in Minecraft. From gathering the necessary ingredients, completing the brewing process, and using the finished potion, to enhancing its effects, farming materials, and more tips - you'll learn all the secrets to harnessing the power of night vision. Let's get started!

 

 Gathering Ingredients

 

Before you can brew a night vision potion, you first need to gather the required ingredients. This will take hunting, exploring, mining, farming, and crafting to obtain everything needed. The primary ingredients are:

 

 Nether Wart

 

The base ingredient for any potion is nether wart. This reddish crop resembling mushrooms is essential for "corrupting" water bottles into an awkward potion to start the brewing process.

 

Nether wart is most commonly found growing in nether fortresses located in the Nether dimension. Look for patches of nether wart blocks with individual warts growing off them in stairwells and corridors. When broken, each nether wart block drop 2-4 nether warts to collect.

 

Take care in the Nether when harvesting nether wart, as fortresses are dangerous areas filled with mobs like blazes and wither skeletons. Come prepared with armor, weapons, and fire resistance potions if possible to safely navigate the Nether.

 

It's a good idea to collect a large supply of at least 30-50 nether warts while in the nether fortress to have sufficient wart for brewing many batches of potions. Mine each nether wart block thoroughly by breaking it completely to obtain all 2-4 pieces that drop.

 

Also place and break grass blocks around the nether wart areas - this can help spawn nether wart blocks allowing you to renewable collect wart in that area as the blocks regrow over time.

 

Transport your nether wart collection back through the nether portal carefully to avoid losing them to lava or mobs. Store the nether warts safely in chests at your base or potion brewing area to have them ready when needed.

 

Having an ample nether wart supply is crucial for potion making, as it is used as the base for every kind of potion. Make sure to obtain more if your stash runs low or becomes depleted after heavy potion brewing.

 

 Golden Carrot

 

The main specialty ingredient for a night vision potion is the golden carrot. This carrot that has been crafted into an ingot form with gold nuggets is the key to imbuing an awkward potion with the power of night vision.

 

You'll need at least 2 or more golden carrots to craft each night vision potion. To make a golden carrot, first craft 8 gold nuggets into a gold ingot, then surround the ingot with 8 normal carrots in a crafting table.

 

Carrots can be found as loot in village farms or chests, and can also be grown by planting carrot crops on farmland and harvesting them when fully grown. Gold is obtained by mining underground in extreme hills or nether biomes.

 

Dig down to y-level 12 and below to find gold ore. Mine it with an iron or diamond pickaxe to obtain gold nuggets and ingots. You may need to mine for some time to collect enough gold for your carrot crafting.

 

It is advised to stock up on a good supply of at least a full stack (64) gold nuggets along with several stacks of carrots to craft plenty of golden carrots for your night vision potion making needs.

 

Transport your golden carrot ingredients to a crafting table near your potion brewing area to efficiently craft batches of golden carrots as needed. Having a steady surplus will ensure you don't run out mid-brew.

 

 Potion of Night Vision

 

Once you have the nether wart and golden carrots ready, it's time to brew a potion of night vision using a brewing stand.

 

You'll also need:

 

- Brewing stand - Crafted with cobblestone and wooden planks. This allows you to brew potions. Craft a few extra stands to brew multiple potions simultaneously.

 

- Glass bottles - Created by smelting sand in a furnace to get glass, then crafting glass bottles from glass blocks. Stock up on at least a double chest worth of empty glass bottles.

 

- Water bucket - Fill an empty bucket with water to get a water source. The brewing stand needs water in its base slot to start brewing. Keep water buckets nearby to refill.

 

Assemble all these ingredients near your designated potion brewing area. Having everything centralized and organized will optimize your night vision potion brewing process.

 

 Brewing the Potion 🔬

 

Once you have everything gathered and prepared, it's time to start brewing. Follow these steps carefully:

 

 Add Nether Wart

 

Start by placing 3 water bottles in the brewing stand's ingredient slots.

 

Then add the nether wart to the top slot - this will convert the water bottles into awkward potions.

 

The nether wart will be consumed in the process. Brew for approximately 20 seconds until the potions convert to an orange-brown color.

 

Pay close attention to the brewing stand bubbles and don't remove the potions too soon or the corruption won't complete properly. Have more nether wart on standby to repeat this step until you have a good supply of awkward potions ready.

 

 Add Golden Carrot

 

Once you have 3 awkward potions, add the golden carrots - about 2-3 carrots per potion is needed.

 

The golden carrots imbue the potion with night vision properties. Let the potions brew for 1-2 full minutes until they turn into a dark aqua-blue color.

 

Again, monitor the brewing stand closely and allow the full brew time to finish. Rushing this vital step can ruin the potion's potency. Repeat with additional awkward potions and golden carrots until you create the desired amount of night vision potions.

 

 Brewing Time

 

Be patient and allow the full brewing time for each step. Rushing the process or taking out potions too early can ruin the brewing and potency. Brewing stands have an indicator to show when brewing is complete.

 

Pay attention to ensure your potions get the required brew time at each stage. Once finished, you'll have successfully created night vision potions from the ingredients! Now it's time to put them to use.

 

 Using the Potion 🧪

 

Night vision potions can be utilized in a few different ways:

 

 Drinking the Potion

 

Simply drink the night vision potion from your inventory to gain night vision powers for 3 minutes. Everything in your view will become brightly illuminated, letting you see clearly even in pitch black surroundings.

 

This is the standard way to use a basic night vision potion on yourself. Make sure to drink the entire bottle for full effect. Carry several on your hotbar for quick access when needed.

 

 Splash Potion

 

Brew a night vision potion with gunpowder to convert it into a splash potion, then throw it at the ground or surface to splash yourself and gain night vision in a radius for 3 minutes from the lingering potion cloud.

 

Use splash potions carefully to avoid hitting unintended targets and wasting the effect. Splash yourself again periodically to renew the duration before it wears off.

 

 Lingering Potion

 

Add dragon's breath to a night vision potion while brewing to create a lingering potion. When thrown, it creates a lingering area of effect night vision cloud for about 40 seconds for anyone standing within it.

 

Place lingering potions strategically to create temporary night vision zones for working or exploring dangerous areas safely.

 

 Arrow of Night Vision

 

Dip arrows in a night vision potion using a cauldron to get arrows of night vision. Shoot these at other players or mobs to temporarily give them night vision for the potion's duration.

 

Useful for sniping your friends or mobs in dark areas! Just be careful not to accidentally shoot yourself and waste the effect.

 

 Duration of Effects

 

The standard duration of night vision from a potion is 3 minutes. This can be extended through added ingredients while brewing. The effect will slowly dim and shortly fade out when the duration runs out.

 

Keep an eye on your effect timer so you can re-drink potions as needed. Having the night vision suddenly wear off in dark areas can be extremely dangerous.

 

 Enhancing the Potion ⚗️

 

There are a few key ingredients you can add to a night vision potion while brewing to enhance its effects:

 

 Redstone

 

Add redstone dust while brewing to extend the duration of a night vision potion up to 8 minutes. More redstone equals longer time.

 

Use 1 redstone to reach 4 mins, 2 for 5 mins, 3 for 6 mins, or 4 for the max of 8 minutes duration. Extremely useful for exploring deep caves or long nights safely.

 

 Glowstone Dust

 

Glowstone dust increases the night vision potion's potency, making night vision even brighter and clearer.

 

This enhancement illuminates more blocks and improves vision at a distance. Use 1-4 glowstone dust for different levels of increased brightness.

 

 Gunpowder

 

Gunpowder added mid-brew transforms a basic night vision potion into a throwable splash potion for spreading night vision to multiple targets.

 

Splash yourself repeatedly or splash team members before big fights or tasks to share the vision benefits.

 

 Dragon's Breath

 

Dragon's breath added while brewing turns the night vision potion into a lingering potion that creates a night vision area of effect when thrown.

 

Lingering potions produce temporary light sources or give teams shared vision in key areas outdoors at night or in caves.

 

Use these enhancing ingredients strategically based on your specific needs for each brewing session. Combining them can further amplify the potions' power and utility.

 

 Farming Ingredients 🌾

 

Growing your own potion ingredients can be extremely useful for maintaining a steady night vision potion brewing operation.

 

 Finding Nether Wart

 

Search nether fortresses thoroughly to collect a sizable starting stock of nether wart. Then build a nether wart farm by placing soul sand in the Nether and planting nether wart on top.

 

The wart will periodically grow more stalks which can be harvested. Make sure to protect the farm from Nether mobs.

 

Having an automated nether wart farm near your nether portal generates a consistent, renewable supply for brewing without needing to re-explore fortresses.

 

 Farming Carrots

 

Build carrot farms in your base biome by tilling farmland and planting carrot crops. Make large farms, harvest fully grown carrots frequently, and replant to keep a healthy crop.

 

Carrots can also be found as loot in village farms and chests to stock up quickly. Transport your harvested carrots to chests near your brewing area.

 

For efficiency, build an automatic carrot farm using pistons, hoppers, and chest carts so that carrots get collected and delivered to storage without any manual labor.

 

 Automatic Brewing

 

Use hoppers, droppers, and other redstone mechanics to automate the brewing process. Set up chests to auto-feed ingredients into brewing stands so night vision potions are produced while you're away.

 

Designing self-sufficient brewing systems will allow you to come back to find potions automatically crafted and sorted for you to use.

 

 Potions vs Enchantments 🪄

 

 Comparison

 

Night vision can also be obtained in Minecraft through enchanted helmets. What are the differences between using potions vs enchantments?

 

- Potions provide temporary but reusable night vision. Enchanted helmets give permanent but gear-dependent night vision.

- Multiple potions can be shared with teams using splashes/arrows. Enchanted helmets only benefit the wearer.

- Potions offer flexible durations and enhancements. Enchantments are fixed strengths. 

- Potions take many resources to craft. Enchanting uses XP and lapis lazuli.

 

 Pros and Cons

 

Pros of Potions:

 

- Shareable with multiple players via splashing

- Customizable durations with enhancements 

- Doesn't use up an armor slot or obscure vision

- Renewable and reusable

 

Cons of Potions:

 

- Need to periodically re-brew potions 

- Costly to gather ingredients in bulk

- Risk of wasted splash potions hitting blocks or mobs

- Takes brewing stand and time to make

 

Pros of Enchantments:

 

- Provides permanent night vision while wearing helmet 

- Save potion materials for other brews

- Frees up inventory space for more items

- No brewing stand or wait time needed

 

Cons of Enchantments:

 

- Only benefits the wearer of the helmet

- Uses up helmet armor slot which could hold other enchants  

- Fixed enchantment level with no flexibility

- Need XP and lapis lazuli to enchant

 

Evaluate your play style preferences and needs to choose which method of obtaining night vision fits best. Potions offer more versatility, while enchanting helmets provides permanent hands-free effects for solo players.

 

 Other Uses 💡

 

Beyond navigation, night vision potions provide many other advantageous uses:

 

 Light Source

 

Potion clouds from lingering potions or splashes can act as temporary light sources to illuminate builds, cave interiors, or dark areas.

 

Strategically thrown splash potions can let you work safely even in deepest caves with no torches needed. Just reapply splashes periodically before light expires.

 

 Mob Farms

 

Night vision lets you monitor and work in mob farms during night cycles for more efficient mob harvesting. Keep mobs spawning through nights.

 

In cave spider or slime farms, night vision allows you to avoid surprises in the dark when collecting drops. Brightly light any shadowy corners.

 

 Exploring

 

Exploring the depths of unlit caverns, underwater ravines, woodland mansions, ocean monuments, and other dimly-lit structures becomes much safer with a night vision boost.

 

Scout ahead of teammates and call out dangers or resources as you all traverse risky areas filled with mobs and hazards while illuminated.

 

 Downsides ❌

 

While extremely useful, beware of a few downsides of night vision potions:

 

 Limited Duration

 

The effects only last 3-8 minutes normally. You'll need to periodically re-drink potions from your hotbar to renew the effects before they expire.

 

Carry at least 3 extra night vision potions so you're never caught unprepared in the dark when your vision starts to dim and wear off.

 

 Costly Materials

 

Crafting a sizeable batch of potions takes substantial amounts of golden carrots, nether wart, glass bottles and other ingredients.

 

Acquiring resources in those volumes can be very challenging and time consuming.

 

Set up efficient resource farms and storage ahead of time so you have ingredients ready for brewing.

 

 Accidental Splashes

 

Splash varieties of night vision potions can easily hit unintended targets like other players, mobs or blocks if you mis-throw them.

 

This wastes their precious effects. Be extremely careful when using splash or lingering night vision to only hit intended areas and avoid accidents.

 

 Tips and Strategies

 

 Renewing Quickly

 

Re-drink night vision potions 30-60 seconds before your current effect wears off. This ensures you don't get caught off guard by darkness setting in.

 

Stay alert to the diminishing timer so you can quickly re-dose a fresh night vision potion in time. Don't wait until the last second! Pre-drink while still partially illuminated.

 

 Carrying Multiple Potions

 

When exploring risky areas like unlit caves, the Nether, or oceans, carry at least 3-6 night vision potions in your hotbar.

 

That way if you encounter mobs or get turned around in twisting passages, you can rapidly re-drink night vision as needed without fumbling in your inventory.

 

Having quick access to extras can save your life in an emergency. Don't get stuck frantically digging without being able to see.

 

 Chaining Effects

 

Brew some night vision potions with 8 minute durations by adding redstone. Drink one, then drink another once the first has 2 minutes left.

 

This chains the effects to refresh your vision before the first potion wears completely off. You can continually chain potions to maintain near constant night vision.

 

 Splash Prevention

 

When using splash night vision, be very careful to avoid accidentally splashing yourself too. This wastes the splash prematurely.

 

Also don't splash other players unless they want night vision too.

 

 Ambush Protection

 

Bring plenty of night vision potions when hunting hostile mobs or players. Drinking it preemptively prevents being ambushed unexpectedly in darkness.

 

See attackers clearly even in unlit areas. But beware - your eyes will also give off a telltale glow, so enemies may notice you!

 

 Underwater Breathing

 

Combine night vision with water breathing potions to illuminate deep ocean exploration or underwater cave diving. No need for torches!

 

See clearly even 300+ blocks deep underwater when wielding a night vision + water breathing potion combo.

 

 Farm Monitoring

 

In automated crop, animal, or mob farms, use night vision to work or monitor your farm efficiently regardless of daylight cycles.

 

No need to sleep through the night waiting for morning or adding lights. Maintain 24/7 farming uptime under constant illumination.

 

 Pocket Light

 

Carry a lingering night vision potion in your off-hand or quickslot. When exploring, quickly throw it at your feet to create a temporary light source in emergencies.

 

This can help you safely escape from mobs if you get trapped in dead-end darkness. Always have an emergency light potion ready.

 

 Mining Helmet 

 

Instead of a pumpkins, wear a lingering night vision potion on your head as a makeshift mining helmet when spelunking underground.

 

It will free up your hands and illuminate everything nearby hands-free! Just refresh it every minute or so.

 

 Creative Mode 🎨

 

In creative mode, obtaining night vision potions becomes extremely easy:

 

 Commands

 

Use commands like `/effect give @p night_vision 99999` to gain unlimited duration night vision instantly, no brewing needed.

 

You can also give potion effects to other players via commands for quick cooperative vision.

 

 Infinite Potions

 

Night vision potions can be taken unlimitedly from the creative inventory menu without needing to gather and brew any ingredients.

 

Fill your entire hotbar and inventory with an infinite supply of the potions for carefree spelunking and building!

 

 Frequently Asked Questions ❓

 

Here are some common questions about night vision potions in Minecraft:

 

Q: How long does night vision last from one potion?

 

A: The standard duration is 3 minutes. With redstone this can be extended up to 8 full minutes.

 

Q: Is night vision possible on multiplayer servers?

 

A: Yes, night vision potions work for all players on multiplayer servers. The effects are individual per player. 

 

Q: Do night vision potions work underwater?

 

A: Yes! Night vision illuminates everything in sight, including when diving deep underwater.

 

Q: Can monsters and mobs gain night vision?

 

A: Yes, mobs are also affected by splash or arrow potions of night vision. Use carefully!

 

Q: Is there a helmet enchantment for night vision?

 

A: Yes, helmets can be enchanted with permanent night vision through an enchanting table.

 

Q: Do golden carrots have any uses besides potions?

 

A: Yes, golden carrots are great high saturation foods that can restore large amounts of hunger.

 

Q: How many glass bottles are needed per potion?

 

A: You'll need approximately 3 glass bottles for each batch of 3 night vision potions brewed.

 

Q: Can I extend the potion duration further than 8 minutes?

 

A: Unfortunately no, adding 4 redstone is the maximum to reach an 8 minute night vision duration.

 

Q: Do these potions work during thunderstorms or rain?

 

A: Yes, night vision works clearly at all times and weather conditions by illuminating your sight.

 

Q: Is there a recipe for splash or lingering night vision potions?

 

A: Yes - add gunpowder or dragon's breath respectively during the brewing process.

 

 Conclusion 🏁

 

With this comprehensive guide, you now have all the steps and knowledge necessary to successfully craft your own night vision potions in Minecraft.

 

The secrets to finding nether wart, farming carrots, brewing potions, enhancing effects, and using night vision potions to their full potential are now at your fingertips.

 

Now get out there, gather your ingredients, and start brewing! In no time you'll have a stockpile of trusty night vision potions to illuminate your every adventure or building project.

 

No cave, fortress, or ocean is too dark when you're equipped with the power of customizable night vision. Never let the shadows stop you again, and enjoy conquering Minecraft day or night!