Were cellars slightly nerfed in 1.22?

[Vexxvididu]

I used to be able to get my cellars to the wiki stated best spoilage rate of 0.26x.  In my new base in 1.22, I can't seem to get it lower than 0.27x on a hot day.  I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong or if it's rounded differently or what.

I've tried both hay bails and a solid wood door.  Both have the same result.  Did anything change that you all know about?

[williams_482]

How much of the cellar is made of stone vs earth type blocks, and how many wooden items (chests, barrels, firewood, fruit press, etc) are inside?

I've found I can get the 0.26x multiplier in a purely cobblestone cellar with very few wooden objects in it, but my more slapshod kitchen cellar built from a mix of cobble and rammed earth with a firewood pile, barrels, etc, does 0.27x. 

[Vexxvididu]

14 minutes ago, williams_482 said:

How much of the cellar is made of stone vs earth type blocks, and how many wooden items (chests, barrels, firewood, fruit press, etc) are inside?

I've found I can get the 0.26x multiplier in a purely cobblestone cellar with very few wooden objects in it, but my more slapshod kitchen cellar built from a mix of cobble and rammed earth with a firewood pile, barrels, etc, does 0.27x. 

all stone and earth for the walls, floor and ceiling.  The only wood is a shelf and the door now.  I wonder if the torch holder adds some heat?  I could try replacing the dirt with cobble maybe...

[williams_482]

Replacing the dirt with cobble should get you that extra 1%.

[Vexxvididu]

Just now, williams_482 said:

Replacing the dirt with cobble should get you that extra 1%.

Thanks, I will try it!  Do you know if this was made more strict in 1.22?  My cellars normally had dirt ceilings in 1.21 but still got to 0.26x.

[williams_482]

Just now, Vexxvididu said:

Thanks, I will try it!  Do you know if this was made more strict in 1.22?  My cellars normally had dirt ceilings in 1.21 but still got to 0.26x.

No idea, sorry. 

[Vexxvididu]

So... I spent some time messing with it this morning.  Replacing all the dirt with cobblestone still left me at 0.27x. ...the last thing that did it was removing the wooden door and replacing it with 2 dirt blocks.  I have do not know if it was that or the combo of everything.  I've previously read in the wiki's that wooden doors are not ideal for cellars, but many people insist they are fine. I think I proved dirt blocks are slightly better.

[Banch]

In the winter, I get lower spoilage rates in my house (recognized as a normal room) than in my cellar, is there any good reason for this?

[LadyWYT]

5 minutes ago, Banch said:

In the winter, I get lower spoilage rates in my house (recognized as a normal room) than in my cellar, is there any good reason for this?

With wintertime comes colder temperatures. A room qualifies as an insulated space, meaning the player's body temperature won't drop and they won't need a fire to warm up in that space(though a fire is recommended since it provides faster warmth), but that doesn't mean that the space itself is particularly warm.

[Banch]

9 minutes ago, LadyWYT said:

With wintertime comes colder temperatures. A room qualifies as an insulated space, meaning the player's body temperature won't drop and they won't need a fire to warm up in that space(though a fire is recommended since it provides faster warmth), but that doesn't mean that the space itself is particularly warm.

I see! Is there any way to get the cellar temperature colder though, or does it have a limit?

[LadyWYT]

10 minutes ago, Banch said:

Is there any way to get the cellar temperature colder though, or does it have a limit?

Make sure it's constructed from earth and stone, with stone being preferable since it can hold a colder temperature. Wood and other materials can make the space not qualify as a cellar. The door also needs to be solid, and the dimensions need to be at or within the cellar limits as well(7x7x7). A crude door won't count as a seal, and a space that is too big will make it not qualify as a cellar either. If you have chiseled decoration, you'll want to double-check that, as chiselwork can disqualify a space from counting as a cellar/room/greenhouse if done incorrectly.

There are also limits on how much spoilage rate can be slowed. I think the lowest possible rate is around x0.22 on average. 

[Maelstrom]

Something else that (at least was) may be a major considering is natural light.  Increased amounts of natural light decreased spoilage benefits. 

I'm not sure if that's the case anymore.   In 1.19 I left a door open to a cellar carved out of a cliff face, only a trunk or two with a door that opened directly into my starter house which had multiple doors and windows.   I tested that a little bit and found that my spoilage rate stayed consistent at about .27 or .28 regardless of whether the door was open or closed.

It might be good to some testing to see if exposure to natural light has any impact anymore.

[Vexxvididu]

On 5/18/2026 at 10:52 PM, LadyWYT said:

There are also limits on how much spoilage rate can be slowed. I think the lowest possible rate is around x0.22 on average. 

I'm pretty sure 0.26x is still the ideal cellar rate when it's warm out.  But in winter it can go down to as low as 0.1x I think?  This is ignoring the bonuses from storage vessels.

...I do wish there was a way to rot food faster in winter though! Would come in handy when trying to make compost.

[LadyWYT]

15 minutes ago, Vexxvididu said:

...I do wish there was a way to rot food faster in winter though! Would come in handy when trying to make compost.

Leaving it in your inventory is the only way I really know of. It's inconvenient though, so I try to have most stuff already rotted for the compost heap by the time winter rolls in.

[Maelstrom]

The Compostor mod is a great tool for rotting things.   The default rotting rate is insane, but it can be configured to be slower.  I set it at 50, iirc, and things rotted over about a 4 or 5 day period.  I highly recommend this mod if someone wants to intentionally spoil food.