Quern

This page was last verified for Vintage Story version 1.20.

Quern
Material	Stone
Stackable	1
Drops	Itself
Blocks

The Quern is a multipurpose functional block that can be operated by hand or automated using windmills, and is used to grind grains, stones, and minerals into powdered form.

Creation

A Quern can only made from suitable rock types which include granite, andesite, basalt and peridotite in the crafting grid. For information on relieving rock used to build the quern, see the rock page.

Ingredients	Crafting Recipe
2x Stick 4x Rock (granite, andesite, basalt, peridotite) 1x Hammer 1x Chisel

Usage

The quern is a device to process various materials into others, such as grain into flour or stones into powder. The processing is possible either with manual labour or through automation.
The following table shows all materials that can be processed using the quern.

Materials & Ratio

Input	Quantity	Output	Quantity	Notes/Use
Grain	1	Flour	1	Cooking (Bread Dough )
Bone	1	Bonemeal	1	Farming (Fertilizer )
Sylvite	1	Potash	2	Farming (Fertilizer )
Halite	1	Salt	2	Food preservation , Cheese making
Sea shell	1	Lime	2	Leather (Limewater ), Mortar
Marble	1	Lime	1	Leather (Limewater ), Mortar
Limestone	1	Lime	1	Leather (Limewater ), Mortar
Chalk	1	Lime	1	Leather (Limewater ), Mortar
Sulfur	1	Powdered sulfur	2	Crafting (Poultices , Blasting powder )
Borax	1	Powdered borax	2	Leather (Diluted Borax ), White dye

Manual Operation

Cross-section of an automated setup with chute-fed in- & outputs, as well as a clutch to interrupt power transmission.

• Loading: Right click on the bottom portion or base of the quern to access the GUI. Insert the item to grind in the input slot (left).
• Operation: Hold right mouse button while hovering over the top portion of the quern to begin the grinding process.
• Collecting Products: Over time the input will be ground into its processed form, which will appear in the output slot (right) and can be transferred.

Special: If the output slot is unable to hold the product (because it is full), the quern will eject the product to one of the sides, unless the chosen one is blocked.

Automated Operation

Automated setup with chiselled guards to keep items from falling to the side, as well as grates to access the chests below.

Querns can be powered by windmills to partially automate grinding, for more info on power generation & power trains, see mechanical power . With a full complement of sails, the quern will grind materials at wind speeds as low as 25%.

Tip: As with pulverizers and other automated machines, its output may despawn if the player is too far away from the quern as it works. Hoppers cannot fix this issue as they similarly only work while the player is in range.

• Power Input: The quern must be powered by connecting the incoming axle on the top or bottom of the quern. The quern cannot be powered by connecting the axle to the side of the quern. For maximum efficiency, connect the power input axle to the bottom of the quern.

• Material Input: Placing a hopper above the quern inserts items into the input slot of the quern. If the quern is powered from the top, input can be inserted from the sides with elbow chutes instead. Alternatively, a straight chute with a chest above the chute can be used to feed the quern input slot from the top. This solution is cheaper because a hopper costs 6 copper ingots while a chute only costs 2.

• Material Output: Placing any item in the output slot will block the output, causing product items to drop out of the sides of the quern. To collect items, hoppers can be fed into chests. Place the hopper at the level of the block supporting the quern, not next to the side of the quern itself. If the hopper, or any block for that matter, is placed next to the side of the quern, this placement will prevent the quern from producing items. Further, if the quern tries to output an item but the side is blocked, it will restart grinding the item. This means placing one block adjacent to the quern will reduce efficiency by 1 quarter.

An optimal automated setup as shown would require the following blocks & items:

• 5 chests - one for the input and 4 for the outputs
• 1 straight chute for the input
• 4 elbow chutes for the outputs
• 4 hoppers for the outputs
• a quern
• (optional) transmission and clutch
• a minimum of 4 axles and 1 angled gear

Depending on the actual location of the setup, more axles and gears would obviously be necessary to connect the quern to the actual power source.

Storage

Querns do not stack and can be transported in player inventory, or stored in containers . The quern, though made of stone, does not require a tool to pick up. To collect a quern, break it with bare hands or any other tool, and collect.

History

Version	Description
v1.20.0	Crafting recipe modified to require a hammer and chisel.