Minecraft’s chests are a great way to store your items and find them later. But there are now so many items that the whole process can become a real chore. There are automatic storage systems, but these require a solid understanding of Redstone and hoppers (Minecraft Automatic Storage System: A Guide for Efficient Item Sorting) .
With update 1.21.9, the Copper Golem introduces a similar function that turns Minecraft’s entire storage system on its head! The tangle of Redstone and hoppers is no longer needed, because the golem handles sorting for you. Here’s how it works and where the system’s limits lie.
Building the Minecraft Copper Golem: instructions and materials
The Copper Golem is similar to other mobs in Minecraft that you also build in the Overworld, such as the Iron Golem, the Snow Golem, or the Wither. For the Copper Golem you only need a block of copper in any desired stage of oxidisation and a Carved Pumpkin or a Jack o’Lantern. You can place them in different configurations, as the pattern works facing any direction.
As soon as you place the pumpkin, not only does the Copper Golem appear, but a Copper Chest also spawns beneath it. The golem will immediately scan the Copper Chest for items and then set off to deliver them to other chests.
Tip: Make sure your storage area is loaded (e.g., by your proximity or active players on the server). In unloaded chunks, sorting pauses.
Copper Golem mechanics: automatic item sorting in Minecraft
A Copper Golem will always look first for an item it can sort. To do this, it accesses a Copper Chest, which does not have to be the one it was summoned with. If it finds an item in a Copper Chest, it searches within a radius of 64×16 blocks for a chest where it can deposit that item. It must have direct access to the chest, i.e., on the same level or exactly one block above or below. It always takes 3 seconds to complete its search animation.
The golem checks a maximum of 10 chests before it either finds the matching item or an empty slot. The chests within the radius are chosen at random. It can carry up to 16 items from a stack, or a single item for non-stackables.
If it cannot find a suitable chest — whether a Copper Chest with items to take or a matching chest to deposit into — the golem pauses for 7 seconds and starts over. It does not interact with chests currently being used by a player or another golem. You cannot give it items, but you can take items from its hand when it is about to deposit them.
A fun easter egg appears when an Iron Golem and a Copper Golem meet: the Iron Golem gives the Copper Golem a poppy and places it on its antenna. You can remove it with shears — a very cute touch!
Limits and range: what the Copper Golem cannot do
The Copper Golem is a great solution for a storage system, but it does have limitations. Some are already apparent from the mechanics above. To work around them, you’ll want to design your storage accordingly.
The Copper Golem’s hurdles are:
- Limited search radius for chests
- Can only sort to chests one block above or below itself
- Chest scanning is random; the golem does not remember chests
- Uses only chests (and trapped chests), but not Shulker Boxes, hoppers, boats, or minecarts
Practical tip: Label chests with item frames and items so you keep track — that helps you and also when expanding your system later.
Best storage layout: an effective Copper Golem sorting system
Given these limits, we recommend a segmented system. Since a golem only ever searches a maximum of ten chests, you shouldn’t present it with more than that at once.
Work in tiers with:
- one Copper Golem
- one Copper Chest (as the intake point)
- ten chests containing the target items (pre-seeded)
- one overflow chest (in case chests fill up)
This guarantees all items are sorted and prevents the golem from wandering off. At the same time, you can group items. Each tier of the storage system can hold different item categories, e.g., wood, stone, ores, food, or building blocks. Simply put the relevant items into the Copper Chest and the golem takes care of the rest!
Additional tips:
- Keep the golem’s paths clear (no doors/traps that block it).
- Place chests at the same height or exactly one block offset.
- Use lighting to prevent hostile mobs in the storage area.
Copper Chest in Minecraft: crafting, properties, and tips
Because a Copper Chest spawns with a golem, let’s take a closer look at it as well. You can also craft one by surrounding a regular chest with 8 copper ingots.
Copper Chests work like normal chests and can also form a double chest. They have a different sound, which sets them apart. If a golem is nearby, it will scan this chest and attempt to sort. Copper Chests also oxidise and pass through the familiar four stages. However, this does not change how the chest functions. Use an axe to de‑oxidise or honeycomb (waxing) to preserve the current stage.
Note: Trapped Chests also work with the Copper Golem. Shulker Boxes are currently ignored — move contents into regular chests before sorting.
Oxidising and de‑oxidising the Copper Golem: statue, poses, and Redstone
A Copper Golem won’t stay that bright orange forever. Like all other copper blocks, it oxidises if you don’t intervene. This doesn’t initially affect its behaviour, but after a little over 7 hours it will eventually turn into a statue and can no longer move. If it was in the middle of sorting an item, it drops it.
You can revive the golem by removing oxidisation with an axe until its yellow eyes light up again. Or you can break the statue with a pickaxe and use it as a decorative block. The statue exists in all four oxidisation stages. It can also display four different poses (sitting, standing, running, star pose), which can be read by a Redstone Comparator.
As with all copper blocks, you can stop the process with honeycomb or reverse it with an axe. A lightning strike also resets oxidisation. For a large storage system it’s worth waxing all golems so they don’t eventually turn into statues.
Conclusion: Automatically sort Minecraft storage — without Redstone
With the latest update, you can leave your item sorting to the little Copper Golem. Even though it has a few hurdles, it’s far easier than dealing with Redstone and hoppers. At the same time you get a new chest type and, with the golem statue, a lovely decorative block for your builds. Play together with your friends on one of our Minecraft servers and discover the new features of the Copper Age together!
