🥒 Free · Fermentation Calculator
Brine Calculator
Get your salt percentage exactly right for pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi and more. Check an existing brine or calculate how much salt to add — instantly.
2.0%
Your brine salt percentage
🧂 Salt💧 Water
How Brine Percentage Works
Brine percentage = salt weight ÷ (water weight + salt weight) × 100. Weighing (not volume-measuring) is essential because different salts have different densities — a tablespoon of fine salt weighs much more than a tablespoon of flaky salt.
Safe Brine Percentages
- 2–3% — the sweet spot for most vegetable ferments (sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles).
- Below 2% — higher spoilage risk; salt may not suppress bad bacteria.
- 3–5% — used for hot sauces and longer ferments; saltier taste.
- Above 10% — preservation brines (olives, cured meats), not for eating directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Always by weight (grams). A tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt weighs ~8g while the same volume of fine sea salt weighs ~18g — volume measurements can double your salt by accident.
Below ~2% salt, undesirable bacteria and mold can outcompete the beneficial lactobacillus, increasing spoilage risk. When in doubt, aim for 2–2.5%.
It's best to use non-iodized salt (sea salt, kosher salt, pickling salt). Iodine and anti-caking agents in table salt can inhibit fermentation and cloud the brine.
There are two methods. This calculator uses the brine-only method (salt ÷ water+salt), standard for salt-water brines. For dry-salting (sauerkraut), many recipes use salt as % of vegetable weight — typically 2%.
1000g of water = 1 liter ≈ 4.2 US cups. Since 1ml of water weighs 1g, milliliters and grams are interchangeable for water.