Brine Calculator
Find the salt weight for a brine at any concentration.
Results update as you type.
How it works
Brining transforms how meat, poultry and vegetables turn out, and this brine calculator gives you the precise weight of salt to dissolve in your water for any concentration you choose. A wet brine is simply salted water, and the salt percentage is what determines whether you get a gentle seasoning brine, a stronger cure, or a fermentation brine for pickles and vegetables. Getting the salt right matters because concentration controls the outcome. A brine that is too weak barely seasons and does little to keep meat juicy, while one that is too strong can leave food unpleasantly salty or, in fermentation, halt the good bacteria you are relying on. A brine calculator removes the guesswork so you can hit a repeatable percentage every time — a 5 percent brine for poultry, for instance, or the classic range used for fermenting vegetables — instead of eyeballing handfuls of salt. The math rests on the fact that one litre of water weighs 1,000 grams. The salt weight is the water in litres times 1,000, times the salt percentage divided by 100. So two litres of water at a 5 percent concentration needs 100 grams of salt. Because it scales directly with both the water and the percentage, you can size a brine for a single chicken breast or a large fermentation crock and keep the strength identical. Cooks brining a holiday turkey, barbecue enthusiasts, and home fermenters all rely on a brine calculator to salt their water accurately.
salt (g) = water (L) × 1000 × salt% ÷ 100
A brine's strength is the weight of salt relative to the weight of water. Since one litre of water weighs 1000 grams, multiplying the litres by 1000 gives the water weight in grams, and taking the chosen percentage of that yields the salt needed. Two litres of water at 5% needs 100 grams of salt. Because the figure scales directly with both water volume and percentage, you can size any batch and target any concentration while keeping the salt-to-water ratio, and therefore the effect on the food, consistent.
Source:Standard brining ratios
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter water and salt concentration.
- 2
Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
- 3
Read your result
Salt needed updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
What salt concentration should I use for brining meat?
For a standard wet brine on poultry and pork, a concentration of about 5 to 8 percent salt by weight of water is common, seasoning the meat and helping it retain moisture during cooking. Lighter brines around 3 to 5 percent suit shorter soaks or delicate cuts. Stronger brines act faster but risk over-salting, so match the percentage and soaking time to the size of the cut and check a trusted recipe for specifics.
Does the type of salt change the amount?
This calculator works by weight, so the grams it gives are correct for any salt — table, kosher or sea salt — because a gram of salt is a gram regardless of crystal size. The difference only matters if you measure by volume, since coarse kosher salt fills a spoon less densely than fine table salt. Weighing the salt on a scale, as this tool assumes, sidesteps that problem entirely and keeps your brine consistent.
How much salt do I need for fermenting vegetables?
Vegetable ferments like sauerkraut and pickles typically use a brine around 2 to 5 percent salt, strong enough to favour the beneficial lactic-acid bacteria while suppressing spoilage organisms. Many pickle recipes land near 3.5 percent. Enter your water volume and the target percentage to get the exact salt weight. Staying within the recommended range is important for fermentation safety, so follow a tested recipe for the concentration and timing.
Should I account for the food displacing water?
For most home brining the small volume the food adds is not worth adjusting for, and using the water you pour in gives a close enough concentration. For precise fermentation, some cooks weigh the water plus the vegetables together and calculate salt against that combined weight for tighter control. This calculator bases the salt on the water alone, which is the simplest and most common method for brining meat and quick pickles.
Can I reuse or scale a brine?
You can scale a brine freely — because the salt is a fixed percentage of the water, just enter the new water volume and the tool gives the matching salt weight, keeping the strength identical for a bigger or smaller batch. Reusing a brine, however, is not recommended for food safety, since it has been in contact with raw food and is diluted by released juices. Mix a fresh brine each time for reliable, safe results.