Meat Curing & Equilibrium Brine Calculator
Calculate precise salt, sugar, and Prague Powder ratios for safe meat curing.
Prague Powder #1 (Cure #1)
Prague Powder #2 (Cure #2)
None (Salt only – Not for long hangs)
156 PPM (Standard US Safety)
120 PPM (Light Cure)
180 PPM (Heavy Cure)
Required Ingredients:
Total Mass:
0 g
Sea/Kosher Salt:
0 g
Curing Salt (Prague Powder):
0 g
Sugar:
0 g
Total Weight for Scale:
0 g
*Calculated based on 0.25% Prague Powder weight for 156ppm nitrite levels.
Understanding Equilibrium Curing (EQ)
Equilibrium curing is the most precise method for curing meat, whether you are making bacon, pastrami, or dry-aged charcuterie. Unlike the "excess salt" method (where meat is buried in salt for a set time), the EQ method uses a specific percentage of salt relative to the weight of the meat. Once the meat absorbs that specific amount, it cannot get any saltier, eliminating the risk of over-salting.
How to use the Curing Calculator
- Meat Weight: Weigh your meat in grams for the highest accuracy.
- Water Weight: If you are making a wet brine (submerging the meat in liquid), enter the weight of the water. If you are doing a dry rub cure, leave this at 0.
- Salt Percentage: For most bacon and whole muscles, 2.5% to 3.0% is the industry standard.
- Curing Salt: Prague Powder #1 is used for items that will be cooked (bacon, ham, jerky). Prague Powder #2 is used for long-term dry-aged products (salami, prosciutto) as it contains nitrates that break down into nitrites over time.
CRITICAL SAFETY NOTE: Curing salts (Pink salt) contain sodium nitrite and are toxic if consumed in large quantities. Always use a digital scale accurate to 0.1g. Never exceed the recommended 0.25% of the total meat weight (roughly 2.5g per 1kg of meat).
Example Calculation
If you have a 2kg (2000g) pork belly for bacon:
- Salt (2.5%): 2000g x 0.025 = 50g Salt.
- Sugar (1.0%): 2000g x 0.01 = 20g Sugar.
- Curing Salt #1 (0.25%): 2000g x 0.0025 = 5g Prague Powder #1.
You would mix these together, rub them onto the meat, and seal it in a vacuum bag for 7-10 days.
Prague Powder #1 vs #2
Prague Powder #1: Contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride. It is dyed pink to prevent confusion with table salt. Use this for meat that requires a short cure and will be cooked before eating.
Prague Powder #2: Contains 6.25% sodium nitrite, 4% sodium nitrate, and the remainder is salt. The nitrate acts as a slow-release reservoir of nitrite for cures lasting weeks or months.