Brine Salt Percentage Calculator
A wet brine is salt dissolved in water, and the strength is set by the salt-to-water ratio by weight. Weighing salt rather than measuring by volume is the only reliable way to hit a target, because crystal size varies widely between table, kosher and sea salts. Enter the weight of water and your target salt percentage and this calculator returns the exact salt to add, the total brine weight, and the concentration as a percent of total brine. Salt percentage for fermentation and pickling is a recipe choice; this tool does the arithmetic, not the food-safety judgment.
Brine salt formula
salt = water weight * (target % / 100)
total brine = water + salt
salt as % of total = salt / total brine * 100
salt per liter water = % per water * 10 (since 1 L water = 1000 g)
Salt-to-water percentage scales linearly with water weight. The percent-of-total figure is always slightly lower than the salt-to-water percent because the salt adds to the denominator.
Common brine strengths
- Lacto-fermented vegetables: roughly 2 to 5 percent salt by water.
- Pickles: often 3.5 to 5 percent by water.
- Short poultry brines: about 5 to 8 percent by water.
- Weigh salt on a scale; volume varies with crystal size.
- Target percentage and soak time are recipe and taste choices.
Brine salt percentage: frequently asked questions
How is brine percentage defined?
For a wet brine, salt percentage is usually expressed as the weight of salt relative to the weight of water, written as a percent by weight (sometimes called brine-by-water). A 5 percent brine uses 50 g salt per 1,000 g (1 liter) of water. Some recipes instead use percent of total brine; this calculator uses salt-to-water, the most common fermentation convention.
What salt percentage should I use?
Lacto-fermented vegetables commonly use 2 to 5 percent brine by water. Pickles often sit around 3.5 to 5 percent. Quick poultry brines run higher, near 5 to 8 percent, for shorter soaks. The right level depends on the food, time and your taste, so it is a user choice.
Does the type of salt matter?
By weight, salt is salt: 50 g of table salt and 50 g of kosher salt give the same brine strength. The difference is by volume, because flake and crystal sizes vary, which is why weighing salt on a scale is far more reliable than measuring by spoon or cup.
How do I find total brine weight?
Total brine weight is simply the water weight plus the salt weight. The calculator shows this so you can choose a container and confirm the food will be submerged. It also reports concentration as percent of the total brine for recipes that use that convention.
Can I scale this to any volume?
Yes. Enter the weight of water you are using in grams (1 liter of water is about 1,000 g). The salt requirement scales linearly with water weight, so doubling the water doubles the salt needed for the same percentage.
Official sources
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.