Brine Batch Planner: Several Brines, One Fridge, One Cook Time

By Cedrick Reese, BrineCalculators.com

14 lb whole turkey + 4 lb whole chicken: 473 g Diamond Crystal in 2.5 gal water, about 4.75 gal of fridge space; whole turkey 14 h ahead, whole chicken 6 h ahead.

Add a row for each thing you are brining and get each one's salt and water, the totals, and when to start each.

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Spoons for your salt brand

Your plan

Units

Cook time (everything comes out of the brine)

Defaults to tomorrow at 5 pm on your device's clock; nothing is stored. Use the oven time, not the dinner time.

14 lb whole turkey + 4 lb whole chicken

473 g Diamond Crystal

2.5 gal water in total

Fridge: about 4.75 gal at once (brine plus food, an estimate)
First in: set a cook time
Cook: set a cook time

Schedule, earliest first

Safety: every brine stays at 40°F (4°C) or below, brined poultry waits in the fridge no more than 2 days, and the brine is discarded after use (USDA FSIS). Cook poultry to 165°F (74°C), pork and beef to 145°F (63°C) with a 3 minute rest, fish to 145°F (foodsafety.gov).

Thanksgiving: 14 lb turkey and 4 lb chicken

473 g Diamond Crystal
2.5 gal water, about 4.75 gal fridge space
whole turkey 14 h ahead, whole chicken 6 h ahead

BBQ weekend: 8 lb pork butt, 3 lb wings, 2 lb chops

426 g Diamond Crystal
2.25 gal water, about 3.88 gal fridge space
pork shoulder or butt 16 h ahead, chicken wings 1 h ahead, pork chops 2 h ahead

Weeknight: 2 lb chicken breasts

94.6 g Diamond Crystal
2 qt water, about 3 qt fridge space
chicken pieces 1 h ahead

Pickling day: 2 qt cucumber brine at 5%, 1 kg cabbage at 2%

115 g table salt
2 qt water, jars on the counter
cucumber 4 weeks ahead, cabbage for sauerkraut 4 weeks ahead

Two 4 lb chickens

379 g Diamond Crystal
2 gal water, about 3 gal fridge space
whole chicken 6 h ahead, whole chicken 6 h ahead

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How this is calculated

This brine batch planner: add a row for each thing you are brining, and it gives every row its salt in grams (and cups for the salt you own), its water from the same reference rules the meat brine calculator uses, and then adds them up: total salt, total water, and how much of the fridge the whole plan takes at once. Tell it when you want to cook and each row gets a start time worked back from its own brining window, never more than 24 hours for a wet brine.

Each row is the same arithmetic the single-cut calculators on this site do, and the totals are plain sums. The old version of this page asked you to type cups, gallons and hours by hand and added the cups without asking which salt; this one computes grams from the cut and the water, then turns the grams into cups for the salt you picked.

per row
water (g)      = reference volume for the cut (table below) x 946 g per qt
salt NaCl (g)  = water (g) x 3.5, 5, or 6%            wet brines
               = meat (lb) x 2.8 or 4.2 g              dry brines, Cook's Illustrated
               = cabbage (g) x 2 or 2.5%               sauerkraut
salt to weigh  = NaCl (g) / purity                     Redmond 0.96, Celtic grey 0.81
hours          = cut's middle figure x 5 / percent     at least the cut's low end,
                                                       never over 24 h; at 6% also
                                                       never over 30 min per lb or 12 h
whole turkey   = about 1 h per lb, at least 4, never over 24
start          = cook time - hours
fridge (qt)    = water (qt) + food (lb) / 2            food volume is an estimate

totals
salt           = sum of grams, listed per salt
water          = sum of water
fridge         = sum of every row in the fridge        all rows overlap at the cook time
ferments       = start 4 weeks ahead, on the counter, not counted in the fridge

The cut table

Wet hours are at 5% salt to water and come from America's Test Kitchen's brining chart, Morton's brining guide and Destination BBQ's chart, the same rows the brining time calculator runs on. Water follows the meat brine calculator: about 1 quart per pound for small cuts, 1 gallon for a whole bird to 6 lb, 1.5 gallons for 6 to 20 lb (Clemson HGIC gives 1 gallon for a 12 to 14 lb turkey and 2 gallons for 16 to 20 lb; the 1.5 gallon figure is what a brining bag needs, and you can raise it on the row).

Row	Method	Window	Water default	Where it comes from
Whole turkey	wet, 5%	0.75 to 1 h per lb, 24 h cap	1 gal to 6 lb, 1.5 gal to 20 lb, 2 gal above	about 1 h per lb, 24 h cap (turkey brine calculator); 1.5 gal covers a 14 to 20 lb bird in a bag
Turkey breast	wet, 5%	3 h to 6 h	2 qt to 3 lb, 3 qt to 5 lb, 1 gal to 8 lb, 1.5 gal above	America's Test Kitchen brining chart, 3 to 6 h
Whole chicken	wet, 5%	4 h to 8 h	1 gal to 6 lb, 1.5 gal to 20 lb, 2 gal above	site window 4 to 8 h, inside Destination BBQ's 4 to 12 h; Morton's short brine is 4 to 5 h at 1 cup per gallon; 1 gal water
Chicken breasts or thighs	wet, 5%	30 min to 2 h	1 qt per lb, at least 1 qt	ATK 30 min to 1 h, up to 2 h
Chicken wings	wet, 5%	30 min to 2 h	1 qt per lb, at least 1 qt	treated as chicken pieces
Cornish hen	wet, 5%	2 h to 4 h	1 gal to 6 lb, 1.5 gal to 20 lb, 2 gal above	small whole bird, half the whole-chicken range
Pork chops	wet, 5%	30 min to 4 h	1 qt per lb, at least 1 qt	Destination BBQ 30 min to 4 h; ATK 1 h in a strong brine
Pork tenderloin	wet, 5%	2 h to 4 h	1 qt per lb, at least 1 qt	meat brine calculator table
Pork loin roast	wet, 5%	3 h to 8 h	2 qt to 3 lb, 3 qt to 5 lb, 1 gal to 8 lb, 1.5 gal above	ATK roast 1.5 to 2 h in a strong brine, 3 to 8 h at 5%
Pork shoulder or butt	wet, 5%	12 h to 24 h	2 qt to 3 lb, 3 qt to 5 lb, 1 gal to 8 lb, 1.5 gal above	meat brine calculator table, 24 h cap (Destination BBQ gives 12 to 24 h for its dry brine and does not favor a wet one for this cut)
Fresh ham	wet, 5%	12 h to 24 h	2 qt to 3 lb, 3 qt to 5 lb, 1 gal to 8 lb, 1.5 gal above	meat brine calculator table, 24 h cap
Beef roast or brisket (dry brine)	dry, by weight	6 h to 24 h	none (dry salt)	Cook's Illustrated salting chart; 1 tsp Diamond Crystal per lb
Steaks or lamb chops (dry brine)	dry, by weight	1 h to 24 h	none (dry salt)	Cook's Illustrated salting chart; 3/4 tsp Diamond Crystal per 8 oz
Leg of lamb (dry brine)	dry, by weight	6 h to 24 h	none (dry salt)	treated as a roast
Shrimp	wet, 5%	15 min to 30 min	1 qt per lb, at least 1 qt	Destination BBQ 15 to 30 min
Fish fillets	wet, 5%	15 min to 45 min	1 qt per lb, at least 1 qt	Destination BBQ 15 to 45 min
Fermented cucumbers (brine)	brine, 3.5 to 5%	1 to 4 weeks on the counter	the brine you enter	NCHFP: refrigerator dills ferment about 1 week, regular dills 3 to 4 weeks at 70 to 75°F; 3.5 to 5% is the pickle brine calculator's band (NCHFP's own recipe is stronger)
Sauerkraut (cabbage, dry salt)	dry salt, 2 to 2.5%	3 to 4 weeks on the counter	none (dry salt)	NCHFP and Clemson HGIC: 3 tbsp salt per 5 lb of cabbage (about 2.4%), 3 to 4 weeks at 70 to 75°F

Fridge space

Because every row is timed to the same cook moment, the last hour before cooking has every container in the fridge together, so the planner adds them all rather than taking the largest. A 14 lb turkey in 1.5 gallons of brine is about 3.25 gallons of container; the bird itself is the estimate part (about 1 quart per 2 pounds, roughly the density of water). Ferments sit on the counter for weeks and are listed with their jar size instead. The container size calculator picks a vessel for one row.

Cups and spoons

Salt	Per tbsp	Per cup	Source
Diamond Crystal kosher	8.4 g	134 g	Diamond Crystal label (1/4 tsp = 0.7 g)
Morton kosher	14.4 g	230 g	Morton label (1/4 tsp = 1.2 g)
Table, pickling, fine sea salt	18 g	288 g	USDA, 6 g per tsp
Redmond Real Salt	16.8 g	269 g	Redmond label (1/4 tsp = 1.4 g, about 96% salt)
Celtic light grey	18 g	288 g	Selina Naturally label (1/4 tsp = 1.5 g, about 81% salt; the planner weighs it up)
Himalayan pink, fine / coarse	16.5 / 15 g	264 / 240 g	Measured (Is Salt); approximate
Flake salt (Maldon)	8.3 g	133 g	Measured (DadCooksDinner); approximate

Running the plan

Timing

Set the cook time to when the meat goes in the oven or on the grill, then add an hour for patting dry and coming up in temperature before the long rows go in.
Mix and chill every brine the day before; a warm brine on cold meat is the usual failure.
Short rows (chops, wings, pieces) can go in after a long row comes out if the fridge is tight.

Space and safety

Bags in bowls use less water than buckets; flat bags stack.
Label each container with what it is and when it comes out. Poultry on the lowest shelf.
A cooler with ice packs is a second fridge only if a thermometer shows 40°F (4°C) or below the whole time.
One brine per item; discard it after use.

What you'll need

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Kitchen scale in grams, so the 3.5, 5, or 6% on each row is what you made.
Brining bags, one per row, set in bowls or a roasting pan.
Fridge thermometer; a loaded fridge runs warmer than the dial says.
Instant-read thermometer for the 165°F and 145°F finishes.
Masking tape and a marker for the out-of-brine time on every container.

How this page is checked

Cedrick Reese built this planner for BrineCalculators.com from the same cut table, water rules and salt densities the meat, turkey and brining time calculators use, so a row here gives the same grams and hours as the single-cut page for that cut. The brining windows are checked against America's Test Kitchen's brining chart and Morton's guide, the brine volumes against Clemson HGIC and the turkey page, the 40°F, 2 day and internal temperature figures against USDA FSIS and foodsafety.gov, and the sauerkraut and cucumber rows against NCHFP.

The cut table above, the preset tiles and the script are generated from one list, which is how the static figures and the live results are kept identical; when a source revises a figure the row changes and the presets are recomputed. The fridge volume is an estimate and is labeled as one. A number here that disagrees with its named source is a bug; the contact page is the place to report it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I coordinate timing for multiple brining projects?

Pick the one time everything comes out of the brine (the cook time) and work back from it: each cut has its own window, so the turkey goes in about 14 hours ahead, a whole chicken 6 hours ahead, chicken pieces or pork chops 1 to 2 hours ahead. This planner does that arithmetic for every row and lists the start times in order. Nothing wet-brines past 24 hours here, and USDA FSIS keeps brined poultry in the refrigerator no more than 2 days. Fermented vegetables are the odd ones out: they start weeks ahead and sit on the counter, not in the fridge.

How much refrigerator space do I need for multiple brining projects?

Add the brine water to the food's own volume for every row that is in the fridge at the same time; since every row ends at the same cook time, the peak is the sum, not the largest single project. The water comes from the reference table (1 gallon for a whole chicken, 1.5 gallons for a 14 to 20 pound turkey, about 1 quart per pound for small cuts), and the food itself takes roughly 1 quart per 2 pounds, which is an estimate. A 14 lb turkey in 1.5 gallons of brine therefore needs about 3.25 gallons of space, and adding a 4 lb chicken in its gallon brings the plan to about 4.75 gallons. The old rule of thumb on this page, 1 gallon per 5 pounds, is gone; it did not account for the water.

Can I brine different types of meat at the same time?

Yes, in separate sealed containers or bags, one brine per item. Never share a brine between items, keep raw poultry on the lowest shelf so nothing drips onto other food, and label each container with what it is and when it comes out. The planner gives every row its own salt, water, and start time for that reason.

What if I don't have enough refrigerator space?

Use a cooler as a second fridge: brine in sealed bags, pack the cooler with ice or ice packs, and check with a thermometer that it holds 40°F (4°C) or below the whole time (Morton's brining guide and USDA FSIS both set that limit). Or stagger the plan so short brines (chops, pieces, wings) go in after the long ones come out, which the start times on this page make easy to see. A brining bag inside a bowl also uses less water than a bucket; the water field on each row is only a default.

How do I calculate total salt and ingredient needs?

In grams, per row, then add them up. A wet brine on this site is salt as a percentage of the water's weight: 5% of 1 gallon (3,785 g) is 189 g, 5% of 1.5 gallons is 284 g. The planner totals the grams and, for the salt you picked, prints the cups: 284 g is about 2 cups of Diamond Crystal, 1 1/4 cups of Morton kosher, or 1 cup of table salt, because the three weigh 134, 230, and 288 g per cup by their labels. Aromatics such as peppercorns, bay, and sugar are up to you; they change the flavor, not the salt or the hours.

Can I prepare brines in advance?

Yes. Mix each brine up to a day ahead, chill it to 40°F (4°C) or below, and keep it covered in the fridge until its start time; a warm brine put on cold meat is the most common way a plan goes wrong. Once raw meat has been in a brine, discard it (USDA FSIS).

What's the ideal brine time for Thanksgiving turkey planning?

About 1 hour per pound in a 5% brine, never more than 24 hours: 11 to 14 hours for a 14 lb bird, 15 to 20 for a 20 lb bird. For a 2 pm dinner with a 3 1/2 hour roast, the turkey goes into the oven around 10:30 am and into the brine around 8:30 pm the night before. Set the cook time on this page to the oven time, not the dinner time, and it gives you the start for every row. USDA FSIS's limit for brined poultry in the refrigerator is 2 days.

How do I organize meal prep brining for the week?

Brine chicken breasts, chops, or tenderloin for their short windows (1 to 3 hours at 5%), cook them the same day, and refrigerate in portions; foodsafety.gov gives cooked leftovers 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 2 to 6 months frozen. Do not hold raw meat in brine over several days to save time; past the cut's window the texture goes soft and salty. A refrigerator pickle keeps for weeks in the same fridge, and the pickle brine calculator sizes the jar.

References

Disclaimer

Educational purpose only: this batch planner is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is designed to help home cooks plan and coordinate multiple brining projects, but it does not replace professional culinary training or food safety certification.

Food safety responsibility: users are solely responsible for following proper food safety guidelines when brining and preparing food. Always maintain refrigeration at 40°F (4°C) or below, use food-safe containers, prevent cross-contamination, cook foods to proper internal temperatures, and follow current USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidelines. The calculations provided are estimates based on general principles and may need adjustment based on your specific circumstances, equipment, and ingredients.

No professional advice: this calculator does not constitute professional culinary advice, food safety certification, or health guidance. Results should be verified against authoritative sources such as the USDA FSIS, FDA, and other government food safety agencies. When in doubt about food safety, timing, or proper procedures, consult official government resources or a qualified food safety professional.

Individual variation: brining times, refrigerator space requirements, and ingredient calculations may vary based on factors including refrigerator temperature accuracy, container types, meat quality, salt types, and individual recipe variations. Always use accurate measurements, verified thermometers, and exercise appropriate judgment.

Liability limitation: BrineCalculators.com and its operators assume no liability for foodborne illness, spoilage, or any adverse outcomes resulting from use of this calculator. Users assume all risks associated with food preparation and are encouraged to follow established food safety protocols. See the full disclaimer.

Medical considerations: individuals with dietary restrictions, sodium-sensitive conditions, or other health concerns should consult a healthcare provider or registered dietitian before consuming brined foods, which contain elevated sodium levels.