# Question about Pop's brine



## stump jumper (Nov 2, 2016)

What is the most (poundage wise) a guy can cure with 1 gallon of Pop's brine?

I've looked and looked and can't seem to find the answer.

I probably overlooked it.

Thanks!

         Mike


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## daveomak (Nov 2, 2016)

Pop's brine mix.....

1/3 - 1 cup sea salt (depending if you're on a lo-salt diet)

1 cup granulated sugar or Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji]

1 cup brown sugar or Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji] brown sugar mix

1 tbsp cure no. 1 pink salt

Let's do the math....  Generally speaking, 1 gallon of brine with sugar and salt and cure weighs around 10 #'s....  

Cure, generally is used at 1 Tbs. for 15#'s of stuff...   (3 tsp. = 1 Tbs. )

Soooo, relatively speaking, the 1 gallon mix will give approx. 156 Ppm nitrite if 5#'s of meat is added bringing the total weight to 15#'s....

If 10#'s of meat is added, the effective Ppm nitrite will be 117 Ppm which is adequate, based on what is allowed for pork belly, making bacon..

Since this is an equilibrium brine solution, injecting is recommended and 2 weeks is about the minimum brining time for all the stuff to take place...

Using the weights, you can calculate weights for sugar and salt to achieve your desired content ending up in the meat...  

Refrigeration is required for the duration of the brining process....


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## stump jumper (Nov 2, 2016)

So if I'm reading this correctly I have to consider the weight of the brine as well as the weight of the meat being cured to dictate how much cure#1 to use?

Not trying to be dense, I just got dropped a lot when I was little and might even have chewed on a couple of window sills.

Thanks

        Mike


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## daveomak (Nov 2, 2016)

Stump Jumper said:


> So if I'm reading this correctly I have to consider the weight of the brine as well as the weight of the meat being cured to dictate how much cure#1 to use?
> 
> Not trying to be dense, I just got dropped a lot when I was little and might even have chewed on a couple of window sills.
> 
> ...


Mike, afternoon....    Yes the weight of everything needs to be considered when making a Parts Per Million (Ppm) anything...  

One gram of nitrite in 999,999 grams of anything is equal to 1 Ppm......    Soooooo, if you want a 156 Ppm final concentration of nitrite in a hunk of meat, and you are submerging the meat in 500 grams of water, the weight of the water must be included with the weight of the meat.....  plus anything else you add to the water...   because, at the end of the brining time, everything "will / should" end up with the same amount of nitrite permeated equally throughout....     nitrite does not selectively permeate meat only...

I definitely hope that does not sound too aloof....  Just trying to explain it in basic terms...

If I screwed up the explanation, let me know...  I'm here for anyone that wants to understand this stuff....   Dave


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## wade (Nov 3, 2016)

Good explanation as ever Dave. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			







> So if I'm reading this correctly I have to consider the weight of the brine as well as the weight of the meat being cured to dictate how much cure#1 to use?


Mike, You did not say exactly what you were you were planning on curing. If it was bacon then yes you need to bring the whole of the weight of the meat and the brine into the calculation.

If you are using it to cure something that contains significant proportion of bone then the approximate weight of the bone should be deducted. With bone in joints then injection is certainly recommended.


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## stump jumper (Nov 3, 2016)

Gentlemen thanks for the replies!

I'm curing a 3 pound piece of loin.

1 gallon of water with salt, sugar and cure added roughly 10#'s or 4535.9grms.

3lb piece of loin 1360.77grms.

Total 5896.67grms

Using the cure calculator I would need ~14.72 grms of cure#1.  1tsp of cure#1 is ~5grms?

Am I getting this right?

It's been soaking since last Sunday in the solution with only 1tsp of cure, can I add the needed extra to the mix and save the piece?

I also discovered last evening that the solution was at 30 degrees f, way too cold.

Thanks for all the help!

Mike


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## daveomak (Nov 3, 2016)

You got it right....  that's why Pop's cure / brine is so popular and works very well...   Mix up his brine, throw the meat in...   in the cooler for about 2 weeks....    if the meat is over 2" think, inject a bunch of the brine and smoke'em if you got'em...

1/3 - 1 cup sea salt (depending if you're on a lo-salt diet)

1 cup granulated sugar or Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji]

1 cup brown sugar or Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji] brown sugar mix

1 tbsp cure no. 1 pink salt

Sooo, you used Pop's brine and only added 1 tsp. of cure #1  ???    

At 30 deg.F, curing ain't happening...  way too cold...   add 2 additional tsp. of cure #1....   warm the brine mix...  inject the loin....  wait.....  smoke...

Salt and sugar allow water to achieve temps below 32 deg. F...   The water will "thicken" as ice crystals "try" to form...  I've seen it in the fish hold that is chilled sea water....    the water starts to act like syrup that has been thinned a bit...   You know, it just don't look and act right...   That condition prohibits the liquid from penetrating and exchanging molecules of stuff to complete the cure....


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## stump jumper (Nov 3, 2016)

Thanks Dave!

Yes only 1 tsp of cure, I misread the recipe.

Glad I asked, gonna fix the brine tonight.

Regards

         Mike


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## daveomak (Nov 3, 2016)

You are good to go.....   Good job questioning stuff you don't quite understand...   I commend you for being "on top of it".....


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## wade (Nov 5, 2016)

Don't forget to post photos


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