Brass is made by smelting copper and zinc together in a furnace

In Minecraft Create, brass is an alloy — a metal made by combining two other metals. You need one copper ingot and one zinc ingot, placed together in a furnace or blast furnace. The furnace will smelt them into one brass ingot. This is different from vanilla Minecraft, where brass does not exist at all; it is a material that the Create mod adds to the game.

The Create mod changes how you work with metals. Instead of finding brass ore in the world, you craft it from two separate metals you either mine or smelt yourself. This means you need to locate both copper and zinc before you can make brass.

Brass is useful because many Create machines and parts require it. Casings, gearboxes, and other mechanical components often call for brass ingots in their recipes. If you want to build anything beyond the simplest Create contraptions, you will need brass.

Key Takeaways

  • Brass requires one copper ingot and one zinc ingot smelted together in any furnace.
  • Copper spawns naturally in the world; zinc is rarer and often found deeper underground or in specific biomes.
  • A blast furnace smelts brass faster than a regular furnace, cutting the time roughly in half.
  • Many Create mod machines and casings require brass ingots, so you will need a steady supply if you build large contraptions.

Where to find copper and zinc ore

Copper ore is relatively common. It spawns between Y-level 0 and Y-level 96 in most biomes, with the highest concentration around Y-level 48. You can mine it with a stone pickaxe or better. When you smelt copper ore in a furnace, you get one copper ingot.

Zinc ore is less common and appears only in the Create mod world. It spawns between Y-level 0 and Y-level 16, so you need to dig deep. Zinc ore looks similar to copper ore but has a slightly different texture — it appears more gray-blue. You also need a stone pickaxe or better to mine it. Smelting zinc ore gives you one zinc ingot.

If you are having trouble finding zinc, try mining in deep caves or strip-mining (digging a long horizontal tunnel and removing all blocks on either side). The deeper you go, the more zinc you will encounter. Some players find it faster to dig straight down to Y-level 10 or lower and then mine horizontally.

Smelting copper and zinc into brass

Once you have at least one copper ingot and one zinc ingot, place them in a furnace together. Put the copper ingot in one slot and the zinc ingot in the other input slot (the top two slots in a regular furnace). Add fuel — coal, charcoal, or any burnable block — to the fuel slot. The furnace will smelt them into one brass ingot.

A regular furnace takes about 10 seconds to smelt brass. If you want to speed this up, use a blast furnace instead. A blast furnace smelts brass in about 5 seconds and requires the same inputs: one copper ingot, one zinc ingot, and fuel. Blast furnaces are more efficient but require iron ingots and smooth stone to craft, so they are worth building only if you plan to smelt large quantities.

You can also use a smoker to smelt brass, though it takes the same time as a regular furnace. Smokers are easier to craft than blast furnaces if you have the materials, but they offer no speed advantage.

Automating brass production with Create machines

If you need large amounts of brass, you can automate the smelting process using Create mod machines. A mechanical mixer can combine molten copper and molten zinc into molten brass, which you then pour into molds to create ingots. This requires more setup than a furnace but produces brass much faster once running.

To use a mechanical mixer, you need to melt copper and zinc separately in a melter or crucible, then feed both molten metals into the mixer. The mixer combines them into molten brass. You then pour the molten brass into an ingot mold placed on a casting table to solidify it into ingots.

This automation path requires more resources and setup time than straightforward furnace smelting. Most players use furnaces for their first brass ingots and switch to mechanical mixers only after they have built enough machines to justify the investment.

How much brass you will need

The amount of brass you need depends entirely on what you build. A single brass casing requires one brass ingot. A brass hand (for mechanical arms) requires two brass ingots. Larger machines like mechanical presses or crushers require multiple casings, so a single machine might need four to eight brass ingots.

If you are building a factory with many machines, plan on needing dozens or even hundreds of brass ingots. It is worth setting up automated smelting early so you do not run out mid-project. Many players keep a furnace or two running continuously while they work on other tasks.

Common mistakes when making brass

The most common mistake is forgetting that you need both copper and zinc. Players sometimes have plenty of copper but run out of zinc, or vice versa. Before you start a large smelting session, make sure you have equal amounts of both metals — one ingot of each per brass ingot you want to make.

Another mistake is using the wrong furnace. A regular furnace works fine, but if you are smelting large quantities, a blast furnace saves significant time. The time difference adds up quickly when you are making 50 or 100 ingots.

Some players also forget that zinc is rare and deep. If you have not found any yet, do not assume it does not exist in your world — it does, but you may need to dig much deeper or explore more caves. Zinc only spawns in the Create mod, so if you are playing vanilla Minecraft, it will not appear at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make brass without finding zinc?

No. Brass requires both copper and zinc ingots. If you have not found zinc yet, you need to mine deeper — it spawns only between Y-level 0 and Y-level 16. Zinc does not exist in vanilla Minecraft, only in the Create mod.

What if I smelt copper and zinc separately by mistake?

You have two copper ingots and two zinc ingots instead of two brass ingots. Put one copper and one zinc back in the furnace together to make brass. The extra ingots can be used for other recipes or stored for later.

Is a blast furnace worth building just for brass?

Only if you plan to smelt more than 20 or 30 brass ingots. A blast furnace saves time but requires iron and smooth stone to craft. For small amounts, a regular furnace is faster to set up and use.

Do I need a specific type of furnace for brass?

No. A regular furnace, blast furnace, or smoker all work. They all require one copper ingot, one zinc ingot, and fuel. A blast furnace is fastest, but any furnace will produce brass.

Can I use a Create mod melter instead of a furnace?

Yes, but it is more complicated. A melter creates molten brass, which you then pour into molds. This is faster for large quantities but requires more setup than a straightforward furnace.