How the Brine Converter Works
The Brine Converter divides brine mass by a density set by salt concentration. The default 1.15 kg/L matches a sodium chloride (NaCl) brine of about 20% by weight.
Know the salt percentage
Use the recipe ratio, a salinometer or a hydrometer reading in °Baumé.
Find the density
Read the density for that percentage at 20°C in the table below.
Enter the brine mass
Type the total mass of salt plus water in kilograms.
Read the liters
The result shows how much tank or crock space the brine needs.
Brine Converter Formula
The brine conversion formula is V = (msalt + mwater) ÷ ρbrine. Salt percentage by weight equals salt mass ÷ total mass × 100.
- w
- Salt concentration, % by weight
- ρbrine
- Brine density at that concentration, kg/L
Worked Examples
- Pickling brine (5%): 50 g salt + 950 g water = 1 kg, so 1 ÷ 1.034 = 0.967 L.
- 20% curing brine: 20 kg ÷ 1.148 = 17.42 L.
- Saturated brine (26.4%): 100 kg ÷ 1.20 = 83.33 L.
Brine Converter Conversion Table
A 10% salt brine has a density of 1.071 kg/L at 20°C (68°F). The table lists NaCl brine densities from 1% to saturation.
| NaCl by Weight | Density (kg/L) | lb per US gal | Liters per 1 kg | Liters per 10 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 1.0053 | 8.39 | 0.995 | 9.947 |
| 2% | 1.0125 | 8.45 | 0.988 | 9.877 |
| 3.5% (seawater level) | 1.0234 | 8.54 | 0.977 | 9.771 |
| 5% | 1.0340 | 8.63 | 0.967 | 9.671 |
| 8% | 1.0559 | 8.81 | 0.947 | 9.471 |
| 10% | 1.0707 | 8.94 | 0.934 | 9.340 |
| 15% | 1.1085 | 9.25 | 0.902 | 9.021 |
| 20% | 1.1478 | 9.58 | 0.871 | 8.712 |
| 24% | 1.1804 | 9.85 | 0.847 | 8.472 |
| 26.4% (saturated) | 1.2000 | 10.01 | 0.833 | 8.333 |
What is a Brine Converter?
A Brine Converter is a calculator that converts the mass of salt water to volume using the density of the brine at its salt concentration.
Brine density rises steadily with salt content up to saturation at 26.4% NaCl at 20°C. Above that point, extra salt sinks to the bottom undissolved.
Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) brines reach higher densities, up to 1.40 kg/L at 40%. Oilfield crews use such brines as completion fluids for well pressure control.
What are the Uses of a Brine Converter?
There are 5 main uses of a Brine Converter.
Pickling and fermentation
Cooks size crocks for sauerkraut, olives and pickles.
Meat curing
Butchers mix injection and soak brines by weight.
Road de-icing
Highway crews convert brine tonnage into sprayer tank fills.
Refrigeration
Engineers size secondary coolant loops in ice rinks.
Water softeners
Technicians estimate regeneration brine volume.