Brine Calculator

How to use this calculator

Enter the weight of water (one milliliter weighs about one gram) and the brine strength you want; the salt weight is calculated. You can also enter the salt and water you actually used to find the strength, or enter the total amount of brine needed to cover your food.

This calculator defines percentage by total weight — salt divided by salt plus water — the convention used in food science and most fermentation guides. Some recipes instead use "grams of salt per 100 g of water"; for a 5% brine that gives 50 g rather than 52.6 g, a small difference that matters more at high strengths. Always weigh salt: different salts have very different volumes per gram, so cups and spoons are unreliable.

The formula

c = s / (s + w)

s = c × w / (1 − c)

w: water
s: salt
c: brine strength (salt by total weight)
m: total brine weight

Worked example

A recipe for brined pork chops calls for a 5% brine and you have one liter (1,000 g) of water.

Salt = c × w / (1 − c) = 0.05 × 1,000 / 0.95 = 52.6 g.
Total brine = 1,000 + 52.6 = 1,052.6 g.
Check: 52.6 / 1,052.6 = 5.0%.

Dissolve about 53 g of salt in one liter of water.

Common brine strengths

Use	Strength
Lacto-fermented vegetables	2 – 3.5%
Fermented pickles (cucumbers)	3.5 – 5%
Turkey, chicken, pork brine	5 – 6%
Feta and cheese brines	8 – 12%
Saturated brine at room temperature	≈ 26.4%

Assumptions and limits

Salt is pure sodium chloride; many table salts contain small amounts of anti-caking agents or iodine, which is fine.
Strength is capped at saturation (about 26.4% at 20 °C); above that salt will not dissolve.

Frequently asked questions

How much salt is in a cup of kosher salt?

It depends on brand: Diamond Crystal weighs about 135 g per cup and Morton kosher about 240 g. That is why brine recipes should be followed by weight.

Should I use iodized salt for pickles?

Iodized salt is safe but can darken pickles and cloud brine. Pickling, sea or kosher salt without additives gives clearer results.

How long should I brine a turkey?

With a 5–6% brine, roughly one hour per pound, up to about 12 hours, kept below 40 °F (4 °C).