diff --git a/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipe.java b/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipe.java
index 1aeb081fd..832a86c8c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipe.java
+++ b/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipe.java
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 package WayofTime.alchemicalWizardry.api.alchemy;
 
-import net.minecraft.item.ItemBlock;
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack;
 import net.minecraftforge.oredict.OreDictionary;
 
 public class AlchemyRecipe {
 
+    public static final int MAX_INPUT_SLOTS = 5;
+
     private final ItemStack output;
     private final ItemStack[] recipe;
     private final int bloodOrbLevel;
@@ -19,87 +20,75 @@ public AlchemyRecipe(ItemStack output, int amountNeeded, ItemStack[] recipe, int
     }
 
     public boolean doesRecipeMatch(ItemStack[] items, int slottedBloodOrbLevel) {
+        return getSlotUsage(items, slottedBloodOrbLevel) != null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Matches the recipe against the input slots and returns how many items have to be taken from each slot, or null if
+     * the recipe does not match. Duplicate ingredients may come from a single slot holding a large enough stack, and
+     * every non-empty slot has to be part of the recipe.
+     */
+    public int[] getSlotUsage(ItemStack[] items, int slottedBloodOrbLevel) {
         if (slottedBloodOrbLevel < bloodOrbLevel) {
-            return false;
+            return null;
         }
 
-        ItemStack[] recipe;
-
-        if (items.length < 5) {
-            return false;
+        if (items.length < MAX_INPUT_SLOTS) {
+            return null;
         }
 
-        if (this.recipe.length != 5) {
-            ItemStack[] newRecipe = new ItemStack[5];
+        int[] usage = new int[MAX_INPUT_SLOTS];
 
-            for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-                if (i + 1 > this.recipe.length) {
-                    newRecipe[i] = null;
-                } else {
-                    newRecipe[i] = this.recipe[i];
+        // ponytail: wildcard ingredients are assigned last so they cannot steal a slot an exact ingredient needs.
+        // A full assignment search would only be needed for ingredients overlapping in more complex ways.
+        for (int pass = 0; pass < 2; pass++) {
+            for (ItemStack ingredient : recipe) {
+                if (ingredient == null) {
+                    continue;
                 }
-            }
-
-            recipe = newRecipe;
-        } else {
-            recipe = this.recipe;
-        }
-
-        boolean[] checkList = new boolean[5];
-
-        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-            checkList[i] = false;
-        }
-
-        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-            ItemStack recipeItemStack = recipe[i];
-
-            if (recipeItemStack == null) {
-                continue;
-            }
 
-            boolean test = false;
+                boolean isWildcard = ingredient.getItemDamage() == OreDictionary.WILDCARD_VALUE;
 
-            for (int j = 0; j < 5; j++) {
-                if (checkList[j]) {
+                if (isWildcard != (pass == 1)) {
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                ItemStack checkedItemStack = items[j];
-
-                if (checkedItemStack == null) {
-                    continue;
+                if (!assignIngredient(items, usage, ingredient)) {
+                    return null;
                 }
+            }
+        }
 
-                boolean quickTest = false;
+        for (int i = 0; i < MAX_INPUT_SLOTS; i++) {
+            if (items[i] != null && usage[i] == 0) {
+                return null;
+            }
+        }
 
-                if (recipeItemStack.getItem() instanceof ItemBlock) {
-                    if (checkedItemStack.getItem() instanceof ItemBlock) {
-                        quickTest = true;
-                    }
-                } else if (!(checkedItemStack.getItem() instanceof ItemBlock)) {
-                    quickTest = true;
-                }
+        return usage;
+    }
 
-                if (!quickTest) {
-                    continue;
-                }
+    private static boolean assignIngredient(ItemStack[] items, int[] usage, ItemStack ingredient) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < MAX_INPUT_SLOTS; i++) {
+            ItemStack slotStack = items[i];
 
-                if ((checkedItemStack.getItemDamage() == recipeItemStack.getItemDamage()
-                        || OreDictionary.WILDCARD_VALUE == recipeItemStack.getItemDamage())
-                        && checkedItemStack.getItem() == recipeItemStack.getItem()) {
-                    test = true;
-                    checkList[j] = true;
-                    break;
-                }
+            if (slotStack == null || slotStack.stackSize - usage[i] <= 0) {
+                continue;
             }
 
-            if (!test) {
-                return false;
+            if (matches(slotStack, ingredient)) {
+                usage[i]++;
+                return true;
             }
         }
 
-        return true;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private static boolean matches(ItemStack slotStack, ItemStack ingredient) {
+        return slotStack.getItem() == ingredient.getItem()
+                && (ingredient.getItemDamage() == OreDictionary.WILDCARD_VALUE
+                        || slotStack.getItemDamage() == ingredient.getItemDamage());
     }
 
     public ItemStack getResult() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipeRegistry.java b/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipeRegistry.java
index 16bfe2874..9411782fd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipeRegistry.java
+++ b/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/api/alchemy/AlchemyRecipeRegistry.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ public static void registerRecipe(ItemStack output, int amountNeeded, ItemStack[
         recipes.add(new AlchemyRecipe(output, amountNeeded, recipe, bloodOrbLevel));
     }
 
-    public static ItemStack getResult(ItemStack[] recipe, ItemStack bloodOrb) {
+    public static AlchemyRecipe findRecipe(ItemStack[] recipe, ItemStack bloodOrb) {
         if (bloodOrb == null) {
             return null;
         }
@@ -28,31 +28,23 @@ public static ItemStack getResult(ItemStack[] recipe, ItemStack bloodOrb) {
 
         for (AlchemyRecipe ar : recipes) {
             if (ar.doesRecipeMatch(recipe, bloodOrbLevel)) {
-                return (ar.getResult());
+                return ar;
             }
         }
 
         return null;
     }
 
-    public static int getAmountNeeded(ItemStack[] recipe, ItemStack bloodOrb) {
-        if (bloodOrb == null) {
-            return 0;
-        }
-
-        if (!(bloodOrb.getItem() instanceof IBloodOrb)) {
-            return 0;
-        }
+    public static ItemStack getResult(ItemStack[] recipe, ItemStack bloodOrb) {
+        AlchemyRecipe ar = findRecipe(recipe, bloodOrb);
 
-        int bloodOrbLevel = ((IBloodOrb) bloodOrb.getItem()).getOrbLevel();
+        return ar == null ? null : ar.getResult();
+    }
 
-        for (AlchemyRecipe ar : recipes) {
-            if (ar.doesRecipeMatch(recipe, bloodOrbLevel)) {
-                return (ar.getAmountNeeded());
-            }
-        }
+    public static int getAmountNeeded(ItemStack[] recipe, ItemStack bloodOrb) {
+        AlchemyRecipe ar = findRecipe(recipe, bloodOrb);
 
-        return 0;
+        return ar == null ? 0 : ar.getAmountNeeded();
     }
 
     public static ItemStack[] getRecipeForItemStack(ItemStack itemStack) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/common/tileEntity/TEWritingTable.java b/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/common/tileEntity/TEWritingTable.java
index 5d9e76509..81ef0783d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/common/tileEntity/TEWritingTable.java
+++ b/src/main/java/WayofTime/alchemicalWizardry/common/tileEntity/TEWritingTable.java
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 import net.minecraft.util.StatCollector;
 import net.minecraft.world.World;
 import net.minecraftforge.common.util.ForgeDirection;
-import net.minecraftforge.oredict.OreDictionary;
 
 import WayofTime.alchemicalWizardry.ModItems;
 import WayofTime.alchemicalWizardry.api.alchemy.AlchemicalPotionCreationHandler;
@@ -582,11 +581,7 @@ public void updateEntity() {
                     progress = 0;
                     this.setInventorySlotContents(6, getResultingItemStack());
 
-                    ItemStack[] composedRecipe = new ItemStack[5];
-
-                    System.arraycopy(inv, 1, composedRecipe, 0, 5);
-
-                    this.decrementSlots(this.getRecipeForItems(composedRecipe, inv[0]));
+                    this.consumeIngredients();
 
                     if (worldObj != null) {
                         worldObj.markBlockForUpdate(xCoord, yCoord, zCoord);
@@ -623,11 +618,7 @@ && getResultingItemStack().stackSize
                                     result.stackSize += getStackInSlot(6).stackSize;
                                     this.setInventorySlotContents(6, result);
 
-                                    ItemStack[] composedRecipe = new ItemStack[5];
-
-                                    System.arraycopy(inv, 1, composedRecipe, 0, 5);
-
-                                    this.decrementSlots(this.getRecipeForItems(composedRecipe, inv[0]));
+                                    this.consumeIngredients();
 
                                     if (worldObj != null) {
                                         worldObj.markBlockForUpdate(xCoord, yCoord, zCoord);
@@ -637,54 +628,40 @@ && getResultingItemStack().stackSize
         }
     }
 
-    public void decrementSlots(ItemStack[] recipe) {
-        boolean[] decrementedList = new boolean[] { false, false, false, false, false };
+    public void consumeIngredients() {
+        ItemStack[] composedRecipe = new ItemStack[AlchemyRecipe.MAX_INPUT_SLOTS];
 
-        for (int i = 0; i < (Math.min(recipe.length, 5)); i++) {
-            ItemStack decStack = recipe[i];
+        System.arraycopy(inv, 1, composedRecipe, 0, AlchemyRecipe.MAX_INPUT_SLOTS);
 
-            if (decStack == null) {
-                continue;
-            }
+        AlchemyRecipe recipe = AlchemyRecipeRegistry.findRecipe(composedRecipe, inv[0]);
 
-            for (int j = 0; j < 5; j++) {
-                ItemStack testStack = this.getStackInSlot(j + 1);
-
-                if (testStack != null
-                        && (testStack.isItemEqual(decStack) || (testStack.getItem() == decStack.getItem()
-                                && decStack.getItemDamage() == OreDictionary.WILDCARD_VALUE))
-                        && !(decrementedList[j])) {
-                    if (testStack.getItem() != null && testStack.getItem().hasContainerItem(testStack)) {
-                        this.inv[j + 1] = testStack.getItem().getContainerItem(testStack);
-                    } else {
-                        this.decrStackSize(j + 1, 1);
-                    }
-
-                    decrementedList[j] = true;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
+        if (recipe == null) {
+            return;
         }
-    }
 
-    public ItemStack[] getRecipeForItems(ItemStack[] recipe, ItemStack bloodOrb) {
-        if (bloodOrb == null) {
-            return null;
-        }
+        int[] usage = recipe.getSlotUsage(composedRecipe, ((IBloodOrb) inv[0].getItem()).getOrbLevel());
 
-        if (!(bloodOrb.getItem() instanceof IBloodOrb)) {
-            return null;
+        if (usage == null) {
+            return;
         }
 
-        int bloodOrbLevel = ((IBloodOrb) bloodOrb.getItem()).getOrbLevel();
+        for (int i = 0; i < usage.length; i++) {
+            if (usage[i] <= 0) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            ItemStack slotStack = this.getStackInSlot(i + 1);
 
-        for (AlchemyRecipe ar : AlchemyRecipeRegistry.recipes) {
-            if (ar.doesRecipeMatch(recipe, bloodOrbLevel)) {
-                return ar.getRecipe();
+            if (slotStack == null) {
+                continue;
             }
-        }
 
-        return null;
+            if (slotStack.getItem().hasContainerItem(slotStack) && slotStack.stackSize == usage[i]) {
+                this.inv[i + 1] = slotStack.getItem().getContainerItem(slotStack);
+            } else {
+                this.decrStackSize(i + 1, usage[i]);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public int getSpeedIncrease() {