Cure Calculator/ Water Amount

[gphil]

How do I calculate the amount of water needed for curing using the calculator. For example, if I use the calculator and input 5lbs/2267.95 grams and calculate I see my totals:
Cure - 5.66 Salt - 40.05 Sugar - 22.68 for a total of 2336.3 grams. Is the total the amount used to calculate the amount of water needed. In this case 82.41 ounces or a little over a half of gallon. I realize that when you cure anything you need to make sure that it is covered but I was curious how do you know how much water to mix. If not, how do you calculate how much water you need.

 

[daveomak]

How do I calculate the amount of water needed for curing using the calculator. For example, if I use the calculator and input 5lbs/2267.95 grams and calculate I see my totals:
Cure - 5.66 Salt - 40.05 Sugar - 22.68 for a total of 2336.3 grams. Is the total the amount used to calculate the amount of water needed. In this case 82.41 ounces or a little over a half of gallon. I realize that when you cure anything you need to make sure that it is covered but I was curious how do you know how much water to mix. If not, how do you calculate how much water you need.

gphil , morning.... Great question....

Most all of the professional papers I have read use a 25-50% volume of water BASED on the weight of the meat...
What that does is increase the concentration of stuff you have added to the water...
With an increased concentration of salt, sugar, cure etc. increases the likelihood of a good penetration of stuff into the meat...
As and example, if you had 1# of meat, 454 grams, and mixed up the proper mix of ingredients into a gallon of water, 3396 grams, it would be a very dilute solution....
On the other hand, 454 grams of meat + 225 grams of water, you would have a much more concentrated solution... It also reduces the amounts of stuff you have to add, saving money..
Yes you need to cover the meat and if it's over 2" thick, you should inject the curing solution...
Use a zip bag or a container that fits the meat to get a good cure..
During the equilibrium cure, the increase in concentration of the stuff you added are "fighting" to equalize between the meat and curing solution..
That's a physics thing... molecules between the liquid and the meat...

 

[gphil]

gphil , morning.... Great question....

Most all of the professional papers I have read use a 25-50% volume of water BASED on the weight of the meat...
What that does is increase the concentration of stuff you have added to the water...
With an increased concentration of salt, sugar, cure etc. increases the likelihood of a good penetration of stuff into the meat...
As and example, if you had 1# of meat, 454 grams, and mixed up the proper mix of ingredients into a gallon of water, 3396 grams, it would be a very dilute solution....
On the other hand, 454 grams of meat + 225 grams of water, you would have a much more concentrated solution... It also reduces the amounts of stuff you have to add, saving money..
Yes you need to cover the meat and if it's over 2" thick, you should inject the curing solution...
Use a zip bag or a container that fits the meat to get a good cure..
During the equilibrium cure, the increase in concentration of the stuff you added are "fighting" to equalize between the meat and curing solution..
That's a physics thing... molecules between the liquid and the meat...

OK. How did you get the 225 grams of water. Is it just somewhere between 25-50% of the 454 grams. In this particular case around 50% or half.

 

[daveomak]

Yep, 50% or less is a very good amount....
ADD the weight of the meat and water together, then calculate amounts using the calculator....

225 is 50% of 454......

 

[bill1]

Gphil,
Are you making your own sausage or other cured meat?
Or just want some sodium nitrite on the outer half inch or so of your meat for the flavor and pink "smoke" ring?
If the latter, I'd consider "dry brining" and then the discarded water doesn't matter. (Unless it's part of your recipe)
https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/wetvdrybrine.html
Blonder also has a calculator you can use, wet or dry.

 

[gphil]

Yep, 50% or less is a very good amount....
ADD the weight of the meat and water together, then calculate amounts using the calculator....

225 is 50% of 454......

Thanks for the help.

 

[gphil]

Gphil,
Are you making your own sausage or other cured meat?
Or just want some sodium nitrite on the outer half inch or so of your meat for the flavor and pink "smoke" ring?
If the latter, I'd consider "dry brining" and then the discarded water doesn't matter. (Unless it's part of your recipe)
https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/wetvdrybrine.html
Blonder also has a calculator you can use, wet or dry.

Thanks. Just finished brining a brisket flat to make pastrami and after12 days it really didn't have much of the traditional red colour. I know colour doesn't really make much of a taste difference in the meat; however, it was more for the look. It was a recipe that I found on the forum but who knows maybe I screwed up somewhere. Daveomak's recent explanation really helped.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Dave gave a Great explanation. The simple answer...Add the Weight of the Meat and amount of Water chosen, in Grams, then enter the Total Weight in the Calculator.

Example...If using a Dry Rub Cure, the weight of the Meat is all that matters in the calculation.
If Brine Curing in a Gallon of Water, than the weight of the Meat 454g + the Water 454g = 908g is entered in the calculator. I know, pretty small hunk of meat!...JJ