Wet Brine Calculator
Quick answer: A standard wet brine is 6% salt by weight — about 57 g per quart of water, which is 3 tablespoons of table salt but nearly 6 of Diamond Crystal kosher; brine chicken pieces 1–2 hours, a whole turkey 12–24.
Brining is just salt math, and the salt matters: a tablespoon of table salt is nearly double the salt of a tablespoon of Diamond kosher. Enter your water and strength, and we'll give the salt by weight and by spoon — for your actual salt.
Brine times in a 6% brine
| Cut | Time |
|---|
| Shrimp | 15–30 min |
| Chicken pieces | 1–2 hr |
| Pork chops | 2–4 hr |
| Whole chicken | 4–8 hr |
| Whole turkey | 12–24 hr |
How it works
A wet brine is measured by weight: salt as a percentage of the water, with 6% the all-purpose standard. A quart of water weighs about 946 g, so 6% is ~57 g of salt — and that's where volume measures betray people, because a tablespoon of table salt (~18 g), Morton kosher (~16 g) and Diamond Crystal (~10 g) are wildly different amounts of actual salt. The tool computes grams first, then translates to spoons for each brand, and suggests the optional classic sugar at half the salt's weight.
Frequently asked
What is the ratio of salt to water for a brine?
A standard all-purpose brine is 6% salt by weight — about 57 g (3 heaped tablespoons of table salt) per quart of water. Go 5% for delicate fish and shrimp, up to 8–10% for short, aggressive brines.
Why does the type of salt matter?
Density. A tablespoon of table salt weighs ~18 g, Morton kosher ~16 g, Diamond Crystal kosher only ~10 g. Measured by weight they're identical — which is why brines should be built in grams, and why we convert to spoons per brand.
Do I need sugar in a brine?
Optional. About half the weight of the salt is classic — it rounds out flavor and helps browning, but the brine works fine without it.
Wet brine or dry brine?
Wet brines add moisture and season deeply — great for lean birds and chops. Dry brining (salting the surface, resting uncovered) concentrates flavor and crisps skin with zero bucket logistics. For turkey, dry brining has largely won; for pork chops and shrimp, wet still shines.
Do I rinse after brining?
No — just pat thoroughly dry. Rinsing splashes brine around the sink for no benefit; drying is what gets you browning. Do skip added salt in the recipe until you've tasted.
Can I brine frozen or kosher meat?
Thaw first — brine barely penetrates frozen meat. Skip brining anything labeled kosher, enhanced or 'self-basting': it's already salted, and a brine on top makes it briny in the bad way.
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