Brine Calculator by Salt Percentage

Wet brining by salt percentage

A wet brine is water carrying a known percentage of salt by weight, nothing more. For poultry, pork and beef cuts the usual range runs from 2 % to 5 %. Building a 3 % brine is easy enough: weigh the water, then add 3 % of that weight in salt. So 1 L of water (1000 g) takes 30 g of salt. How long the meat soaks comes down to thickness. A chicken breast is done in 1–2 hours at 3–5 %, but a whole pernil or picanha needs 4 to 12 hours in a 3–5 % solution. If you'd rather not add water to the meat, a dry brine works instead, rubbing salt straight onto the cut at 0.5–1.5 % of its weight.

Common uses

• Brazilian churrasco, where you pre-brine pernil, costela or a whole chicken.
• Smoking pork belly, bacon and brisket, hot or cold.
• Keeping vegetables and cheeses in a light brine.
• Traditional preparations like carne seca and carne-de-sol.

FAQ

How much salt for 1 L of water at 3 %? 30 grams. Bump it to 5 % and you need 50 grams. Weigh it rather than measure by volume, which varies too much from one salt type to another.

Can I use any salt? More or less. Fine sea salt and refined salt dissolve faster than coarse rock salt. Skip iodised salt on long brines, since it can leave off-flavours behind.

Wet brine or dry brine? A wet brine keeps lean cuts moist. A dry brine concentrates flavour and crisps the skin on poultry and pork.