The Absolute BEST explanation of the 6% vs. 2% salt and cure brine controversy on the Web!

[indaswamp]

The 2% Equilibrium Brine vs. The 6% Gradient Brine

Both work, but follow very different procedures! You can not use a gradient brine as an equilibrium brine or your meat will be 3X saltier than is should be. The reason for a 6% solution is for it's disinfectant properties, bacteria die in salt solution greater than 5%.


http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/saltbrinecalculator.html
http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/archimedes.html
http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/archimedes.html
And a cure calculator for equilibrium brine.
http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/nitritecuringcalculator.html

 

[atomicsmoke]

Laat year we had fake news.

Now we have fake science.

"For example, a large turkey might be brined in a 6% solution for 24 hours. The salt concentration will run from 6% at the surface, to near zero a half inch below the surface (it could take a week for salt to diffuse all the way to the center of a thick brisket or turkey breast). The meat is then removed from the concentrated brine and cooked. The salt band moves rapidly inward, propelled by heat of cooking. Assuming the surface brined layer is a third of the total turkey volume, this second diffusion step averages out the salt level to around 2%."

 

[indaswamp]

Laat year we had fake news.

Now we have fake science.

"For example, a large turkey might be brined in a 6% solution for 24 hours. The salt concentration will run from 6% at the surface, to near zero a half inch below the surface (it could take a week for salt to diffuse all the way to the center of a thick brisket or turkey breast). The meat is then removed from the concentrated brine and cooked. The salt band moves rapidly inward, propelled by heat of cooking. Assuming the surface brined layer is a third of the total turkey volume, this second diffusion step averages out the salt level to around 2%."

How so?