Brine Calculator
Choose what you're brining and the method, enter the water or meat weight, and get the salt in grams and in spoons for the salt brand in your cupboard.
Time: 8-12 h whole bird, 1-2 h parts
1 US quart = 946 ml; 1 gallon = 3,785 ml
Brown sugar for pork and poultry; 0 for ferments
Salt
220 g
= 26.2 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher
Brine
4000 ml
5.5% salt by water weight
The same 220 g of salt in every brand
| Salt | g per tsp | Teaspoons | Tablespoons / cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt | 6 | 36.7 | 12.2 tbsp |
| Morton kosher | 4.8 | 45.8 | 15.3 tbsp |
| Diamond Crystal kosher | 2.8 | 78.6 | 1.64 cups |
| Fine sea salt | 5.5 | 40 | 13.3 tbsp |
| Canning / pickling salt | 6.5 | 33.8 | 11.3 tbsp |
Wet: salt = water × %. Equilibrium: salt = (water + meat) × %. Dry: salt = meat × %. Teaspoons = grams ÷ the brand's grams per teaspoon, which is why a recipe that says "1 cup kosher salt" means very different things.
Three methods, one idea
Salt moves into meat until the concentration inside matches the outside. A wet brine sets the outside high (5-6%) so it works fast and you pull the meat before it goes too far. An equilibrium brine sets the outside at the level you actually want to eat (1.5-2%) so timing stops mattering. A dry brine skips the water and uses the meat's own juices, so the numbers are a percentage of the meat.
Presets and times
| Brine | Salt % | Per litre / kg | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry, wet brine (5-6%) | 5.5% | 55 g | 8-12 h whole bird, 1-2 h parts |
| Pork chops / loin, wet brine (5%) | 5% | 50 g | 2-4 h chops, 12 h loin |
| Equilibrium brine, any meat (1.5-2%) | 1.75% | 18 g | 24-48 h; cannot over-salt |
| Dry brine, poultry (1%) | 1% | 10 g | 12-48 h uncovered in the fridge |
| Dry brine, beef / pork (1-1.5%) | 1.25% | 13 g | 1-24 h |
| Vegetable ferment, whole (3.5%) | 3.5% | 35 g | 1-4 weeks at room temperature |
| Half-sour pickles (3.5-5%) | 4% | 40 g | 1-3 weeks |
Grams to spoons, by brand
| Salt | g / tsp | 10 g | 25 g | 50 g | 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt | 6 | 1.7 tsp | 1.4 tbsp | 2.8 tbsp | 5.6 tbsp |
| Morton kosher | 4.8 | 2.1 tsp | 1.7 tbsp | 3.5 tbsp | 6.9 tbsp |
| Diamond Crystal kosher | 2.8 | 1.2 tbsp | 3 tbsp | 6 tbsp | 11.9 tbsp |
| Fine sea salt | 5.5 | 1.8 tsp | 1.5 tbsp | 3 tbsp | 6.1 tbsp |
| Canning / pickling salt | 6.5 | 1.5 tsp | 1.3 tbsp | 2.6 tbsp | 5.1 tbsp |
Dissolve the salt in a portion of hot water, then add the rest cold, or ice, so the brine is fridge-cold before the meat goes in. Rinse wet-brined meat and pat it dry; do not rinse a dry brine. Anything brined should be cooked to a safe temperature like any other meat; brining changes seasoning and moisture, not safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much salt goes in a brine?
For a classic wet brine, 5-6% of the water's weight: 50-60 g per litre, which is about 3.5 tablespoons of table salt or 7 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal per litre. That is strong enough to season a whole chicken in 8-12 hours or chops in 2-4. Vegetable ferments use 2-5% depending on the vegetable and the season.
What is an equilibrium brine?
You calculate salt as a percentage of the water and the meat together, usually 1.5-2%, so the meat can only ever reach that concentration no matter how long it sits. A classic 6% brine keeps pushing salt in and over-salts if you forget it; an equilibrium brine is forgiving and takes 24-48 hours. It is the method most restaurants use for anything they brine in bulk.
How much salt for a dry brine?
About 1% of the meat's weight for poultry and 1-1.5% for beef and pork: roughly half a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal, or a quarter teaspoon of table salt, per pound. Rub it on, leave the meat uncovered in the fridge for 12-48 hours, and the salt draws out moisture and then pulls it back in seasoned. Dry brining also dries the skin, which is why it gives crisper roast chicken than a wet brine.
Why does the salt brand matter so much?
Because the crystals are different sizes, so a teaspoon holds different weights: table salt about 6 g, Morton kosher 4.8 g, Diamond Crystal kosher only 2.8 g. A recipe calling for a cup of kosher salt is 50% saltier with Morton than with Diamond. The calculator works in grams and then converts to spoons for the brand you have; a scale removes the problem entirely.
Should I add sugar to a brine?
Optional. Sugar at 2-5% of the water weight balances the salt and helps browning on pork and poultry; brown sugar adds a little molasses flavour. Leave it out of vegetable ferments, where it feeds the wrong microbes, and out of beef, where it can taste sweet.
These tools use baker's percentages, salt-by-weight brining, coffee ratios by weight and the USDA roasting and thawing tables, all stated on each page. They are starting points for your kitchen, your flour and your oven: taste the brine, watch the dough, and always cook poultry to 165°F on a thermometer.