Brine Calculator
Calculate salt for a wet brine, equilibrium brine or dry cure.
Please note: Cooking guides only. Times and temperatures vary with oven calibration, altitude, starting temperature and cut. For anything where safety matters — poultry, pork, sous vide, preserving — use a probe thermometer and follow your national food safety guidance rather than a calculated time.
What the Brine Calculator does
A brine is defined by its salt concentration, but what that percentage refers to differs by method. A wet brine measures salt against the water alone; an equilibrium brine against water and food together, so the two settle at a known final saltiness; a dry brine against the food only.
Formula
Wet brine: Salt = Water × %Equilibrium brine: Salt = (Water + Food) × %Dry brine: Salt = Food weight × %
Inputs explained
| Input | Unit | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brine type | one of 3 options | Yes | — |
| Water | number | In some modes | Accepts more than 0. Shown Brine type is Wet brine — salt as a % of the water, or Brine type is Equilibrium brine — salt as a % of water plus food. |
| Water unit | one of 7 options | In some modes | Shown Brine type is Wet brine — salt as a % of the water, or Brine type is Equilibrium brine — salt as a % of water plus food. |
| Food weight | number | In some modes | Accepts more than 0. Shown Brine type is Equilibrium brine — salt as a % of water plus food, or Brine type is Dry brine — salt as a % of the food. |
| Food unit | one of 4 options | In some modes | Shown Brine type is Equilibrium brine — salt as a % of water plus food, or Brine type is Dry brine — salt as a % of the food. |
| Salt concentration | % | Yes | Wet brines run 3–6%. Equilibrium brines 1.5–2.5%. Dry brines 1–1.5%. |
| Sugar | % | Optional | — |
How to use it
- Choose Brine type.
- Enter Salt concentration.
- Fill in the remaining inputs the form shows for your choice.
- Optionally add Sugar.
- Select Calculate.
Worked example
A 5% wet brine in 2 litres of water.
- Method
- Wet brine
- Water
- 2 l
- Salt
- 5%
2,000 g of water at 5% needs 100 g of salt — about 16.7 teaspoons of table salt.
Frequently asked questions
What is an equilibrium brine?
One where salt is calculated against the combined weight of food and water, so both end up at the same concentration. It cannot over-salt no matter how long you leave it.
Does salt type matter?
Enormously by volume, not at all by weight. A tablespoon of table salt has nearly twice the salt of a tablespoon of flaky kosher salt, which is why every serious recipe weighs it.
Method and sources
Method. Salt quantity from water weight and the brine strength chosen, or from meat weight for a dry cure, with a suggested duration by thickness.
Assumptions
- Salt dissolves fully and the meat is fully submerged for a wet brine.
Limitations
- Salt types differ substantially in density, so a volume measure of kosher, table and flake salt carries very different amounts — weight is the only reliable basis.
- Brining is a seasoning and moisture technique, not a preservation method. Nothing here establishes that a cure is safe: curing for preservation involves nitrite levels and controlled conditions outside this calculation.
- Brining must happen under refrigeration. Time at room temperature is the risk this calculator cannot see.
Sources
- Your national food-safety authority's guidance on curing, brining and refrigerated storage — Varies by country. Anything to do with safety or preservation. This calculator supplies a seasoning ratio and a rough duration, and makes no preservation claim.