What percentage is a standard wet brine?

A standard wet brine is 5% salt by weight of water — about 50g of salt per liter of water (roughly 1 tablespoon per cup). This level seasons the meat without making it too salty.

How much salt for dry brining?

Use 1% of the meat weight in salt. For a 4 lb chicken (1814g), that is about 18g of kosher salt applied directly to the surface. Rest uncovered in the fridge for 24–48 hours.

What is equilibrium brining?

Equilibrium brining uses a salt concentration equal to the desired final saltiness of the meat (usually 1–1.5% of total weight of meat + water). All salt is fully absorbed — you cannot over-brine.

No — never reuse brine. It contains bacteria from raw meat and should be discarded immediately after use.

Brine Calculator

Calculate the exact salt amount for wet brine (5%), dry brine (1%), or equilibrium brine. Enter meat weight and water volume to get grams of salt, sugar ratio, and recommended brine times.

Meat Weight (lbs)

lbs

Brine Type

Water (cups, wet brine only)

cups

Salt Needed

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Salt (approx) —

Recommended Brine Time —

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Water (cups)

cups

Add Sugar?

Salt

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Sugar —

Usage —

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Meat Weight (lbs)

lbs

Brine Type

Water (cups, wet/eq only)

cups

Sugar (1:1 with salt?)

Salt

—

Sugar —

Brine Time —

Food Safety —

Aromatics Suggestion —

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your meat weight in pounds.
Select Wet Brine (submerged in salt water) or Dry Brine (salt rubbed on surface).
For wet brine, enter the amount of water you plan to use in cups.
The calculator returns the exact salt in grams and teaspoons, plus recommended brine time.

Formula

Wet Brine: Salt (g) = Water (g) × 0.05
Dry Brine: Salt (g) = Meat Weight (g) × 0.01
Equilibrium Brine: Salt (g) = (Meat + Water) (g) × 0.015

Example

Wet brine for 4 lbs chicken with 4 cups water: 4 cups = 946g water × 0.05 = 47g salt (~7.8 tsp table salt). Brine 4 hours in fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

A standard wet brine is 5% salt by weight of water — about 50g of salt per liter of water (roughly 1 tablespoon per cup). This level seasons the meat without making it too salty.
Use 1% of the meat weight in salt. For a 4 lb chicken (1814g), that is about 18g of kosher salt applied directly to the surface. Rest uncovered in the fridge for 24–48 hours.
Equilibrium brining uses a salt concentration equal to the desired final saltiness of the meat (usually 1–1.5% of total weight of meat + water). All salt is fully absorbed — you cannot over-brine.
No — never reuse brine. It contains bacteria from raw meat and should be discarded immediately after use.

Related Calculators

Sources & References (4) ▾

Modernist Cuisine – Brining Science — Modernist Cuisine
The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt — Serious Eats
Cook's Illustrated Brining Guide — Cook's Illustrated
USDA FSIS – Brining and Food Safety — USDA FSIS