How to Make Dried Ghast in Minecraft
Dried Ghast
Dried Ghast is a placeable Nether block that hatches into a ghastling after roughly 20 minutes of waterlogging in the Overworld, growing into a rideable Happy Ghast.
Description
The defining mechanic of the Dried Ghast is hydration. Place the block in the Overworld and let water cover it so it becomes waterlogged; hydration then advances in stages, taking about 20 minutes on average until the Dried Ghast disappears and a ghastling hatches. The ghastling matures into a Happy Ghast — the first rideable flying mob in vanilla Minecraft — after another 20 minutes, and feeding it snowballs speeds up that growth. A Harness crafted from 3 Leather, 2 Glass, and 2 Wool of the same color lets up to 4 players ride at once. Transformation is impossible in the Nether because water cannot be placed there; removing the water source reverses hydration at the same rate, while breaking the block resets all progress instantly.
Block properties
| Item ID |
minecraft:dried_ghast
|
|---|---|
| /give command |
/give @p minecraft:dried_ghast
|
| Stackable | Yes (64) |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Java Edition | 1.21.6 |
| Bedrock Edition | 1.21.90 |
Guide
How to turn a Dried Ghast into a Happy Ghast in Minecraft
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1
Find, craft, or barter a Dried Ghast
Travel to a soul sand valley in the Nether and check around nether fossils — about one in three has a Dried Ghast beside it. Alternatively, place 1 Soul Sand in the center of a 3×3 crafting grid, fill the 8 surrounding slots with Ghast Tears, and collect 1 Dried Ghast. Piglin bartering returns one about 2.13% of the time per gold ingot.
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2
Bring the Dried Ghast to the Overworld
Carry the block through a Nether portal. Hydration only works where water can be placed, and water cannot exist in the Nether.
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3
Place the block and make it waterlogged
Set the Dried Ghast on any solid surface with open space above, then place a water source adjacent to or on top of it so the block becomes waterlogged. Rain alone does not waterlog the block.
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4
Wait about 20 minutes
Hydration advances in stages while the block stays waterlogged. After roughly 20 minutes on average, the block disappears and a ghastling hatches. Removing the water reverses the stages at the same speed.
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5
Raise the ghastling into a Happy Ghast
The ghastling grows into an adult Happy Ghast after about 20 more minutes; feeding snowballs speeds this up. Craft a Harness from 3 Leather, 2 Glass, and 2 Wool of the same color and equip it on the adult to carry up to 4 players.
Breaking a waterlogged Dried Ghast instantly resets all hydration progress, while simply removing the water source only reverses it at the same rate. Ghastlings cannot wear a Harness — wait until the Happy Ghast is fully grown.
How to craft this block
Frequently asked questions
Where do you find a Dried Ghast in Minecraft?
Dried Ghast generates naturally in soul sand valley biomes in the Nether, beside roughly one in three nether fossils. The block was added in Java Edition 1.21.6 and Bedrock Edition 1.21.90.
How do you craft a Dried Ghast?
Place 1 Soul Sand in the center slot of a 3×3 crafting grid and fill the 8 surrounding slots with Ghast Tears. The recipe yields 1 Dried Ghast.
How long does it take a Dried Ghast to become a Happy Ghast?
Waterlogging a Dried Ghast hatches a ghastling after about 20 minutes on average, and the ghastling grows into an adult Happy Ghast after roughly 20 more minutes — about 40 minutes total. Feeding the ghastling snowballs speeds up the growth.
Can you ride a Happy Ghast?
Yes. Craft a Harness from 3 Leather, 2 Glass, and 2 Wool of the same color and equip it on an adult Happy Ghast. Up to 4 players can ride simultaneously, and the first to mount steers.
Does the Dried Ghast transformation work in the Nether?
No. Water cannot be placed in the Nether, so the block cannot become waterlogged there. Bring the Dried Ghast to the Overworld first.
What happens if you break a Dried Ghast during hydration?
All hydration progress is lost instantly and the block drops as an item. Removing the water source instead only reverses the progress at the same rate it advanced.