Brine Calculator
Work out how much salt to use for a wet or dry brine, by weight.
These percentages are typical starting ranges, not fixed rules — strength and timing vary by recipe and by how long you brine.
2000 g water × 6% = 120 g salt. Weigh the salt for accuracy.
For a wet brine, salt is a percentage of the water weight — 2000 g water at 6% needs 120 g salt. For a dry brine, salt is a percentage of the meat weight — 1500 g meat at 1% needs 15 g salt. Multiply the weight by the percentage, then divide by 100.
Wet brine vs dry brine
A wet brine dissolves salt (and often sugar) in water; the food soaks in the solution, so the salt is dosed as a percentage of the water weight. A dry brine rubs salt straight onto the surface, so it is dosed as a percentage of the meat weight. Both season and help the food hold moisture — they just use different reference weights.
weight = water for a wet brine, meat for a dry brine
Worked example
A 6% wet brine in 2 litres of water.
- 1 Pick the reference weight. Wet brine uses the water weight (2 L ≈ 2000 g); dry brine uses the meat weight.
- 2 Choose a salt percentage. A quick wet brine is roughly 5–8%; a dry brine is roughly 1% of the meat.
- 3 Multiply and divide. 2000 g × 6 ÷ 100 = 120 g salt. For a 1% dry brine on 1500 g meat: 1500 × 1 ÷ 100 = 15 g.
- 4 Weigh the salt. Use a scale, not a spoon — table and kosher salts differ a lot by volume for the same weight.
Typical brine strengths
Starting ranges — adjust for your recipe and brining time.
| Brine | Salt (typical) | Based on | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet — light | 5% | Water weight | 2000 g water → 100 g salt |
| Wet — standard | 6% | Water weight | 2000 g water → 120 g salt |
| Wet — strong / quick | 8% | Water weight | 2000 g water → 160 g salt |
| Dry brine | 1% | Meat weight | 1500 g meat → 15 g salt |
Getting an accurate, honest result
Weigh the salt. A gram is a gram, but a tablespoon is not — fine table salt packs far denser than flaky kosher salt, so the same spoon can hold nearly double the salt by weight. A kitchen scale removes that guesswork.
Strength and time trade off. A stronger brine works faster but oversalts sooner; a milder brine is more forgiving over a longer soak. Treat the percentages here as starting points and follow a trusted recipe for timing.
Keep it food-safe. Brine and rest in the refrigerator, not at room temperature, and don’t reuse brine that has touched raw food.