How it works
Brine strength is the weight of salt as a percentage of the weight of the water. A 5% brine is 50 grams of salt for every liter of water, or about 189 grams per US gallon. That is close to the classic turkey brine of 1 cup of table salt for every 2 gallons of water.
Measuring by weight matters because salts differ so much by volume. A tablespoon of table salt weighs about 23 grams, Morton kosher about 16 grams and Diamond Crystal kosher about 10 grams, so swapping one for another by the spoon can make a brine more than twice as salty.
Keep the meat and brine below 40°F the whole time, in the refrigerator or a cooler with ice. Do not brine a turkey labeled “enhanced”, “kosher” or “self-basting”, because it already contains salt.
Formula
Salt (g) = water (g) × strength ÷ 100. 1 US gallon of water ≈ 3,785 g.
Questions people ask
How much salt do I need per gallon of brine?
For a 5% brine, about 189 grams (6.7 oz) per gallon. That is roughly 8 tablespoons (½ cup) of table salt, 12 tablespoons (¾ cup) of Morton kosher or 19 tablespoons (about 1¼ cups) of Diamond Crystal.
How long should I brine a turkey?
Most recipes call for 6 to 12 hours for a whole turkey in a brine of about 5%. Longer can make the meat too salty and spongy. Rinse it, pat it dry and skip extra salt in the rub.
Is brine percentage based on the water or the total?
This calculator uses the weight of the water, the most common method in recipes. Some fermenting guides use the total weight of salt plus water. At typical strengths the difference is small: a 5% brine by water is 4.76% of the total.
Do I need sugar in a brine?
No. Sugar adds flavor and helps browning but does not affect how the brine seasons the meat. Many recipes use about half as much sugar as salt by weight.