# Universal Cure Calculator.........



## diggingdogfarm

I set up a javascript Universal Cure Calculator on my website.
Here's the link for anyone who wants to play around with it....

http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

The calculator can be used to calculate the amount of cure and salt required in sausage...the amounts of cure, salt and sugar for a dry cure mix...it can also be used to calculate the ingredients for an equilibrium brine, etc.

*[COLOR=#red]The calculator is preset for Cure #1 at 6.25%, do not change that number unless you know what you are doing.[/COLOR]*

Update: I changed the 6.25% value to "read only" so it can't be changed.

There's also a handy weight converter for converting pounds to grams.

Please only use the calculator if you have a full understanding of the technical and safety issues involved.

Triple check your work!!!

Have fun!

~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

I've had a couple folks ask about equilibrium brining, below is a brief description that I wrote up.

*Equilibrium brining is a method of brining that makes it impossible to over-salt or over-cure meat when using a reasonable percentage of salt and the proper amount of cure. In equilibrium brining the submerged meat and the cover brine (or cover brine and injected brine, in larger pieces of meat) act as a single system and are considered a single unit when calculating salt, sugar and cure amounts. Over time, the ingredients in the brine migrate into the meat until levels in the meat tissue and in the brine are balanced via osmosis and diffusion. Therefore, the calculation for ingoing salt, sugar and cure is based on the weight of the meat plus the weight of the water or other liquid used in the brine.*

~Martin


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## DanMcG

Nice work Martin, that will come in handy!
 also nice food pic's, especially the sopressata


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## alelover

That's really cool. Bookmarked it.


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## tjohnson

Cool Calculator Martin

Can you save this as a WIKI?

Where does the Nitrite ppm come from?

If it's a standard, maybe you want to fix the cell, so someone does not alter it

Can I assume this calculator will work for a brine solution, as well as a dry cure?

TJ


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## diggingdogfarm

The % nitrite is for cure #1.
I set the value to "read only", so it can't be changed.
Yes, the calculator can be used to calculate an equilibrium brine.


~Martin


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## papagrizz

Thanks Martin,

Appreciate your efforts and making it easier for me...


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## daveomak

Martin, morning.....Very nice calculator.....   Will you add a section for liquid ????  say I want to use 2 quarts of water with a 5# chunk of meat... Like I might use when doing turkey breast or legs.... or pork hocks and shanks....  that would be really handy....  

You needed something else to do today anyway.....   Dave


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## davidhef88

Very nice!  Thumbs Up


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## diggingdogfarm

The calculator is only good for recipes using cure, and in the case of brining, an equilibrium brine. Equilibrium brining takes time and the ingredients are often less than what's used in a typical brine.
 Larger pieces of meat should be injected, and a high ratio of meat to liquid  (4:1,2:1, etc.) should be used for best results.

Here's an example of a 2:1 ratio (meat:water) equilibrium brining project.

We'll do immersion cured (rind-off) bacon which requires no more than 120ppm nitrite.

Our piece of bacon weighs 1000grams so the amount of water required for our 2:1 brine is 500grams, adding the two together we get 1500grams.
We now calculate the cure, salt and sugar for a total of 1500 grams of meat and water.
Our bacon is less than 2-1/2 inches thick so injecting isn't required.

Here's the results from the calculator:






I hope that makes sense.

~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

I typically do 2:1 or even 4:1 brines, but here's another example, a 1:1 ratio equilibrium brine for corned beef.

A 2-1/2 inch thick, 1000gram piece of brisket, requiring 200ppm nitrite and 1000grams of water.
Total of the meat and water 2000grams.






~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

I've been asked where the nitrite limits can be found.
They're in the USDA's Processing Inspectors' Calculations Handbook.

www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7620-3.pdf

Please be sure that you understand the technical and safety issues involved.
It's especially important to understand what's meant by 'dry cured' in the handbook, the associated ppm numbers do not apply to short term curing.

~Martin


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## davidhef88

DiggingDogFarm said:


> I've been asked where the nitrite limits can be found.
> They're in the USDA's Processing Inspectors' Calculations Handbook.
> www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7620-3.pdf
> Please be sure that you understand the technical and safety issues involved.
> It's especially important to understand what's meant by 'dry cured' in the handbook, those numbers do not apply to short term curing.
> ~Martin[/quote
> 
> Great link. Just spent a little time there and seem to understand things a little better.  I know see your concern for the "dry cure" terminology being used.
> 
> David


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## chef jimmyj

Very nicely done.The conversion table and calculator are a nice addition...JJ


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## smokinhusker

That is nice and thank you for taking the time to create it, explain it and share it!!!


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## pops6927

I have a problem viewing it.  The calculator on the bottom is meshed in with the universal Cure Calculator on the left and making the calc unusable and hard to read the UCC on the bottom half.


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## diggingdogfarm

What web browser are you using Pops?

Is anyone else having that problem?

I'll move the other calculator later today.


~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

Just curious, do you happen to have your browser font size set to larger than normal?
I was able to re-create the problem by doing that.
Some browsers also render the font naturally larger making the calculator larger and causing the overlap.
I'm asking so that I can prevent the problem in the future.

~Martin


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## alelover

Do you have javascript enabled in your browser Pops?


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## solaryellow

Very nice Martin!


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## pops6927

alelover said:


> Do you have javascript enabled in your browser Pops?


Yes


DiggingDogFarm said:


> What web browser are you using Pops?
> Is anyone else having that problem?
> I'll move the other calculator later today.
> ~Martin


Google Chrome

don't know

thanks!


DiggingDogFarm said:


> Just curious, do you happen to have your browser font size set to larger than normal?
> I was able to re-create the problem by doing that.
> Some browsers also render the font naturally larger making the calculator larger and causing the overlap.
> I'm asking so that I can prevent the problem in the future.
> ~Martin


no


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## diggingdogfarm

Give it a try now Pops.


~Martin


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## pops6927

Perfect! Thank you!


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## pops6927

well, now the calculator disappeared.


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## diggingdogfarm

Yeah, I took it off because I would have had to drop it way down below the cure calculator.


~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

I moved it over above the weight converter, maybe it'll work okay there.

http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

~Martin


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## BGKYSmoker

Nice Calculator there Martin

3 N[sub]2[/sub]H[sub]4[/sub] → 4 NH[sub]3[/sub] + N[sub]2[/sub]

N[sub]2[/sub]H[sub]4[/sub] → N[sub]2[/sub] + 2 H[sub]2[/sub]

4 NH[sub]3[/sub] + N[sub]2[/sub]H[sub]4[/sub] → 3 N[sub]2[/sub] + 8 H[sub]2[/sub]

JK.................


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## diggingdogfarm

LOL!


~Martin


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## cesarschoice

Martin -- Thank you very much for your webpage setup! This is a great tool which I will definitely use!!!


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## JckDanls 07

Martin..  thx for taking time and doing this....  When I open it the calculator is over top (overlapped) of the instructions for the converter


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## diggingdogfarm

JckDanls 07 said:


> Martin..  thx for taking time and doing this....  When I open it the calculator is over top (overlapped) of the instructions for the converter



Thanks!

I'll move it ASAP.


~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

I set up a weight units converter that is easier to use than the previous and a regular calculator that's more featue rich.

Check it out......

http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html


~Martin


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## pops6927

nepas said:


> Nice Calculator there Martin
> 
> 3 N[sub]2[/sub]H[sub]4[/sub] → 4 NH[sub]3[/sub] + N[sub]2[/sub]
> 
> N[sub]2[/sub]H[sub]4[/sub] → N[sub]2[/sub] + 2 H[sub]2[/sub]
> 
> 4 NH[sub]3[/sub] + N[sub]2[/sub]H[sub]4[/sub] → 3 N[sub]2[/sub] + 8 H[sub]2[/sub]
> 
> JK.................


Hmmmm ... that sounds like something for Nintendo.... but edible! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   LOL!

Great job on the calculator!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   Have a burger and party!


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## pops6927

I would recommend 1 thing;

Either add some instructions at the top first (like what you did in your first posts), or at minimum change it from "Weight of Meat" to "Weight of Meat and Liquid".


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## pops6927

So, to see if I understand this right, if I wanted to do a pork butt for buckboard bacon and make up a gallon of my brine's recipe to cover it in with lo-salt recipe:

1 gallon of water

1 lg tbsp cure #1 (about an ounce)

¼ cup salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

it would be about like this:







A little hard to see, just click on it and it will get bigger.

8 lbs of pork butt plus 1 gallon of water = 16

in grams, 7257.44

Cure #1 = 25.55 g  .9 ounce

2% salt = 121.2  --  about 4 ounces or ¼ cup

12% sugars = 870.89 -- almost 32 ounces (sweet pickle brine)

However, if you just put in 7257.44 weight of meat and water then it will still sufficiently brine the product safely and effectively, and you can play around with it like I've done to further enhance your pickling.


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## diggingdogfarm

The ppm should be 200, otherwise, it's correct, but I'd cut the sugar back by at least half, a cup of sugar weighs approximate 210 grams.


~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

Remember that in equilibrium brining a 1:1 brine works good for small piece of meat, but a strong brine like a 2:1 brine or stronger and pumping works best for larger pieces of meat.

That's the way I've done it for years influenced by ancestors and that's what's customary in others parts of the world too.

This is from the Marianski's......

_"In Poland where people have smoked meats for hundreds of years, almost everybody (meats plants included) uses the following weight ratio: from 30 % to 40 % of water to 100 % of meat. That means that for 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of meat we add 0.4 liters (400 mg) of water. Keep in mind that 1 liter of water weighs exactly 1 kg."_

~Martin


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## daveomak

DiggingDogFarm said:


> Remember that in equilibrium brining a 1:1 brine works good for small piece of meat, but a strong brine like a 2:1 brine or stronger and pumping works best for larger pieces of meat.
> 
> That's the way I've done it for years influenced by ancestors and that's what's customary in others parts of the world too.
> 
> This is from the Marianski's......
> 
> _"In Poland where people have smoked meats for hundreds of years, almost everybody (meats plants included) uses the following weight ratio: from 30 % to 40 % of water to 100 % of meat. That means that for 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of meat we add 0.4 liters (400 mg) of water. Keep in mind that 1 liter of water weighs exactly 1 kg."_
> 
> ~Martin


Martin, evening.....  good point on the ratio's.... that makes total sense to me...  I will take that advice and store it somewhere I won't forget it.....


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## warston

sorry to knock on an old topic, but i'm new and i would like to ask something:

i got a piece of pork leg 3500 grams

and i would like to cure it to seems something like Jambon de paris 

what i understood that i have to add water 50% of the meat weight , and then put the green weight of meat + 50% of it in the first raw of the calculator .. is that correct ?

and after doing so, i got this result 

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w432/warston/1-9.jpg

and then shall i immerse the leg in that brine in refg ? if yes , then how many days ?

if i have to inject some of it ( because of the  bones is inside ) then how much i have ti pump ? and then do i have to immerse it in the rest of the brine ? if yes, then for how long ?

thanks for all


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## warston

double post ..


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## diggingdogfarm

I would do a 4:1 or 3:1 brine.....meat to brine.
You must inject a portion of the brine.
I would inject brine equal to 10-15% the weight of the meat.
Keep the meat covered in brine as best you can, a plastic bag works good.
I would allow cure time of 7-10 days.


~Martin


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## warston

Thanks Martine !

i just asked something in the post before of this, i would like to know if in the first column of the brine calculator , should we put the green weight of meat + the water volume ? or just the weight of the meat ?


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## diggingdogfarm

warston said:


> Thanks Martine !
> 
> i just asked something in the post before of this, i would like to know if in the first column of the brine calculator , should we put the green weight of meat + the water volume ? or just the weight of the meat ?



Depends, you can do either.
If you are doing an equilibrium brine, you enter both the weight of the meat and the liquid weight.
If you're apply a dry cure mix, you enter just the meat weight,

~Martin


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## warston

thanks Martin , as always fast to reply and helpful !! ya i'm doing wt cure ( brine) not dry mix

so i would enter both eight : meat+water


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## diggingdogfarm

Yes.

~Martin


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## doctorvapor

Excellent tool.  Thanks


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## dragonmaster194

_  _I tried to go to the calculator, and it says this page is suspended.  Is there another link to the calculator Martin?  I am going to make anither batch of bacon and need to use this calculator.  Please help Martin.  Forever in your debt!!  Thanks, Steve


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## smoking b

Dragonmaster194 said:


> _  _I tried to go to the calculator, and it says this page is suspended.  Is there another link to the calculator Martin?  I am going to make anither batch of bacon and need to use this calculator.  Please help Martin.  Forever in your debt!!  Thanks, Steve


Yes the calculator is down. What type of cure are you wanting to do? Ie dry cure/brine/equilibrium brine?


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## diggingdogfarm

I fixed the problem.
The calculator is back up and working fine now.



~Martin


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## smoking b

The links at the start of this thread & the one on page 2 don't work for me but if I click on it in my favorites it works fine now...


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## diggingdogfarm

I wonder why?
I just tried them and they work fine.


~Martin


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## smoking b

Here's what I get when I use the links in this thread http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

Here's what I get using the link in my favorites http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

The link in my favorites has the www  - strange...


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## diggingdogfarm

Thanks!
I updated them!


~Martin


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## smoking b

DiggingDogFarm said:


> Thanks!
> I updated them!
> ~Martin


No problem Martin! They are working fine now


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## dragonmaster194

Martin, much appreciated.  I can make bacon again.  Also, I will be starting on sausage in late Feb, can I use this for sausage as well?  If there is a calculator for sausage I will use that.  I'll search for that.  Again, Thanks a billion for your info Martin!  Steve


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## diggingdogfarm

Sure, you can use the calculator for sausage.
Keep the ppm nitrite set at 156 and set the salt and sugar to whatever level you prefer.


~Martin


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## dragonmaster194

Thanks again Martin, you are the man!  Steve


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## vortreker

Thanks a million for this. Might keep us "experimenters" from commiting Hara Kiri.


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## mountainhawg

Appreciate this thread and calculator. Planning on making some jerky for the first time and maybe some bacon. All the more info the better and there is plenty of info on this site.


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## hoddo

Very usefull any chance of a guide to brine times?  For instance would brine times for a 1kg  salmon fillet be the same for 1kg of pork belly of the same thickness?


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## daveomak

hoddo said:


> Very usefull any chance of a guide to brine times?  For instance would brine times for a 1kg  salmon fillet be the same for 1kg of pork belly of the same thickness?


Usually a brine penetrates meat at the rate of 1/4" per day.....  Now that's from both sides of the meat...   I'm speaking of pork and beef now....    If you use a very salty brine, a shorter time in the brine and then a rest in the refer for a day or so, for the meat to come to equilibrium is in order...   Salmon is a different "animal" ....  I dry brine salmon....  I weigh 2% salt and sprinkle it over the fish.... in the fridge for a couple days, rinse and dry.... pellicle formation... then smoke.... 

When brining, I prefer an equilibrium brine so I can't overly salt the meat......

An equilibrium brine is..............

Weigh the meat, weigh the water, I like 1.5 - 2% salt depending on the meat....   add 2% salt for the given weight of water and meat...  let it ride.... in the refer for days following the thickness guide...   as a rule, use as little water as possible so the brine is a really salty concentration....  brines work better that way....

Dave


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## jsk53

DiggingDogFarm said:


> I've had a couple folks ask about equilibrium brining, below is a brief description that I wrote up.
> 
> *Equilibrium brining is a method of brining that makes it impossible to over-salt or over-cure meat when using a reasonable percentage of salt and the proper amount of cure. In equilibrium brining the submerged meat and the cover brine (or cover brine and injected brine, in larger pieces of meat) act as a single system and are considered a single unit when calculating salt, sugar and cure amounts. Over time, the ingredients in the brine migrate into the meat until levels in the meat tissue and in the brine are balanced via osmosis and diffusion. Therefore, the calculation for ingoing salt, sugar and cure is based on the weight of the meat plus the weight of the water or other liquid used in the brine.*
> 
> ~Martin


Hi Martin. I have a beef jerky marinade I have used in the past for immediate consumption so I didn't worry about curing. I want to make a large batch that will be stored for a bit so I think curing is appropriate. If I understand correctly, your calculator can be used for brining by adding the weight of the liquid to the weight of the meat to enter into the calculator.

Here are my questions, normally, I only marinade the already sliced beef for about 2 hours which seems to be plenty of time for the meat to absorb the flavors. Is there a specific period of time beyond that I would need to marinade? Second, I rely on the salts in the marinade ingredients and don't add any additional salt. Can I ignore the salt amount the calculator specifies?

Thanks.

Jeff


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## bigwheel

If I was going to try this I would use a cup of Mortons Tender Quck and a cup of sugar per gallon of water. Overnight soak should be about right. Should be enough for 10-12 pounds of meat strips. Best of fortunes. Keep the brine ice  cold.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...at-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index


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## diggingdogfarm

jsk53,

Yes, ignore the salt  in the calculator in your case and jerky will cure VERY quickly when sliced thin.



HTH


~Martin


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## samcanadian

Hi guys, first post here.

I'm in Canada, and the form of Instacure we have here is what apparently is called Prague Powder 5-200.

The directions on the bag are as follows: _*Use at 0.31% to achieve 200ppm nitrite in the finished Raw product.  Use at 0.18% to achieve 120 ppm nitrite in the finished raw product.  This prague powder contains 6.4% nitrite and 92.5% salt*_

Now, will there be that much difference in 6.4% Nitrite in this product and the 6.25% in typical Instacure #1...especially when we are dealing in 5-10lbs of meat MAX?  Like, I'm not even sure if I'd be able to measure it that accurately to make a difference.

But, to get back to my question...do you have your calculator with an unlocked Nitrite bar so I could plus that 6.4% number in?


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## daveomak

Sam, afternoon.....  

6.25 / 6.4 = 0.977

 Soooooo,  if you use Martins calculator, multiply the final number by 0.977 to get the correct number for your 6.4% nitrite cure...

Most stuff recommends 156 Ppm nitrite MAX...   ground meats for sausage etc.....  by our USDA.... FDA.... or whoever they are...

Bacon skinless 120 Ppm.... skin on 108 Ppm.... those are max numbers....   Dave


Do you know what the other 1.1% is in the mix ????


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## diggingdogfarm

@Samcanadian
I don't currently have the unlocked version set up.
You can use the calculator as is and just multiply the calculated cure amount by 0.9765 (6.25/6.40=0.9765) to determine the amount of 6.4% cure to use.

HTH

~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

Oops...Dave just barely beat me too it!!!! :biggrin:


~Martin


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## daveomak

NOT BY MUCH !!!!!!!


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## samcanadian

DaveOmak said:


> Sam, afternoon.....
> 
> 6.25 / 6.4 = 0.977
> 
> Soooooo,  if you use Martins calculator, multiply the final number by 0.977 to get the correct number for your 6.4% nitrite cure...
> 
> Most stuff recommends 156 Ppm nitrite MAX...   ground meats for sausage etc.....  by our USDA.... FDA.... or whoever they are...
> 
> Bacon skinless 120 Ppm.... skin on 108 Ppm.... those are max numbers....   Dave
> 
> 
> Do you know what the other 1.1% is in the mix ????



Dave, the rest of the mix is glycerine and sodium bicarbonate.


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## samcanadian

DaveOmak said:


> Sam, afternoon.....
> 
> 6.25 / 6.4 = 0.977
> 
> Soooooo, if you use Martins calculator, multiply the final number by 0.977 to get the correct number for your 6.4% nitrite cure...
> 
> Most stuff recommends 156 Ppm nitrite MAX... ground meats for sausage etc..... by our USDA.... FDA.... or whoever they are...
> 
> Bacon skinless 120 Ppm.... skin on 108 Ppm.... those are max numbers.... Dave
> 
> 
> Do you know what the other 1.1% is in the mix ????





DiggingDogFarm said:


> @Samcanadian
> I don't currently have the unlocked version set up.
> You can use the calculator as is and just multiply the calculated cure amount by 0.9765 (6.25/6.40=0.9765) to determine the amount of 6.4% cure to use.
> 
> HTH
> 
> ~Martin


You know, I'll be honest guys...I'm having a little bit of trouble figuring this out.

Simply put, I want to know how much of this stuff I'll need for 5lbs of meat total.

I mean, most recipes call for 5 grams of instacure for 5lbs of meat, so this is how I tried to work it out:

Weight of meat: 2267.95g (5lbs)

Cure #1 % Nitrite: 6.25%

Salt % desired: 93.75%

Sugar Desire: (I put zero here)

PPM: 156 (Well within the guidelines)

SO, that shows me with 5.66 grams of Cure #1 per 5lbs of meat, and multiplying that by .977 would show that I only need to put 5.52g's of my 5-200 blend in?


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## diggingdogfarm

Yep, that's correct.



~Martin


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## samcanadian

So basically no real difference at all from Instacure #1, unless I'm using huge amounts of it...which probably won't ever happen.

Ok guys, thanks for the help.  Much appreciated.


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## tc fish bum

thanks so much martin, gonna do a bbb for the first time using equ. brine for the first time and you just answerd all my questions!


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## mikewysuph

Hey guys and gals. Just got my bellies (2 of them for a 3.46 lb total) and I'm ready to try my hand at some bacon!!!

Couple questions....so using the calculator, this is what I did:

For a 2:1 brine, I have

1,569 g of bellie means 784 g of water for a total of 2,353 g.

I add that to the calculator with salt % of 2.5% (why that percentage?)

And put in 1% for the sugars (again, why that percentage? I just used it because DDog used those percentages in his example on page 1).

Put in 120 ppm for the bacon.

Now to the calculator results:

I need 4.52 g of Cure #1

54.6 g of salt (what salt is the best for this? Regular table salt? Sea? Kosher?)

23.5 g of sugar (again, what can be used here? Brown, White?)

For a total of 2435.6 g.

Ok, I think the math part of this experiment is accurate. But the questions are plentiful:

I just got a $15 digital scale for measuring these amounts out, BUT the thing only goes to the tenths when weighing ounces, and does not at all go to decimals for grams.

So if I need 4.52 g of Cure #1, that's 0.15943 oz. How on earth am I supposed to measure out these miniscule amounts?? I need like a gram to 1/8 teaspoon conversion table.

Sorry for the noob questions and I'm sure the answers are on this forum somewhere. I just wanted to get some dialogue going without having to read 100s of pages.

Thanks all. I'm super excited!!


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## daveomak

About adding cure etc. when you need an odd amount.....   for cure, weigh out 5 grams, as an example.....  dissolve it in 500 mls of water..... be sure it is all dissolved.....    For 4.5 grams of cure, (you have already figured this out, haven't you....) dump out 50 mls of water....  add the 450 mls / with cure to the brine bucket.....  be sure to subtract that 450 mls when making the other additions....  

Easy Peasy...  do the same for any odd amount you want to get closer to the accurate amount...  you can weigh the water.... 500 grams = 500 mls...  or close enough...


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## daveomak

Now there is a method I use when I know I have several batches of the same meat to make up....   
If I'm using 120 Ppm cure for bacon (that is 0,87 grams cure/#)   and 1% sugar ( that's 4.5 grams sugar/#) and 2.5% salt/# ( that's 11.35 grams salt/#)

7 x 0.87 = 6.09 grams....  close enough....   so I multiply each amount x 7  ......  4.5 sugar x 7 = 31.5 gms....  11.35 gms salt x 7 = 79.5 gms...    
Put the 6 gms cure and 31.5 gms sugar and 80 gms salt in a container and mix/ shake up really good....    you have a total of 117 gms of mix at 120 Ppm cure.... that will do 7 pounds of meat....  if you have a 2.5# slab to cure...  117 / 7 = 16.7 gms of mix per pound of meat..... 16.7 x 2.5 = 41.7 or 42 grams of mix for the 2.5# slab....  

There are several methods to do this...    Personally I like making my own mix in big batches...  it's easier for me....  especially for things like Andouille when I know I'm making a lot of it....   seasonings, cure, spices, etc.... all my batches come out the same...      Then when you make another batch, add your mix per amount of meat AND if  you want more black pepper, just add pepper, no need to weigh it into your "mother" mix.... so to speak.....
Just be sure to label everything.... the container with the amount of each etc. so you will know in the future what you have.......

Sounds confusing....  could be....  hope I didn't screw it up....  but you get the idea behind making your own personal blend.....   

Need help ??? I'm here......   

Dave


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## mikewysuph

DaveOmak said:


> About adding cure etc. when you need an odd amount..... for cure, weigh out 5 grams, as an example..... dissolve it in 500 mls of water..... be sure it is all dissolved..... For 4.5 grams of cure, (you have already figured this out, haven't you....) dump out 50 mls of water.... add the 450 mls / with cure to the brine bucket..... be sure to subtract that 450 mls when making the other additions....
> 
> Easy Peasy... do the same for any odd amount you want to get closer to the accurate amount... you can weigh the water.... 500 grams = 500 mls... or close enough...


Wow Dave, you sure are smart! That's a great way of doing it, super easy.

That being said, see my new post in "Smoking Bacon"..... I took the easy way out.


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## mikewysuph

DaveOmak said:


> Now there is a method I use when I know I have several batches of the same meat to make up....
> If I'm using 120 Ppm cure for bacon (that is 0,87 grams cure/#) and 1% sugar ( that's 4.5 grams sugar/#) and 2.5% salt/# ( that's 11.35 grams salt/#)
> 
> 7 x 0.87 = 6.09 grams.... close enough.... so I multiply each amount x 7 ...... 4.5 sugar x 7 = 31.5 gms.... 11.35 gms salt x 7 = 79.5 gms...
> Put the 6 gms cure and 31.5 gms sugar and 80 gms salt in a container and mix/ shake up really good.... you have a total of 117 gms of mix at 120 Ppm cure.... that will do 7 pounds of meat.... if you have a 2.5# slab to cure... 117 / 7 = 16.7 gms of mix per pound of meat..... 16.7 x 2.5 = 41.7 or 42 grams of mix for the 2.5# slab....
> 
> There are several methods to do this... Personally I like making my own mix in big batches... it's easier for me.... especially for things like Andouille when I know I'm making a lot of it.... seasonings, cure, spices, etc.... all my batches come out the same... Then when you make another batch, add your mix per amount of meat AND if you want more black pepper, just add pepper, no need to weigh it into your "mother" mix.... so to speak.....
> Just be sure to label everything.... the container with the amount of each etc. so you will know in the future what you have.......
> 
> Sounds confusing.... could be.... hope I didn't screw it up.... but you get the idea behind making your own personal blend.....
> 
> Need help ??? I'm here......
> 
> Dave


Awesome info again Dave. Definitely the way to do it when you got alot going on. Thanks for taking the time for the write up! A keeper post for sure.


----------



## samfor

Hi All - 

I'm Sam from Armenia, a Kiwi a long way from home. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  My journey into curing started after I emigrated here (I'd been smoking various fresh meats for a number of years), when I discovered I couldn't buy bacon here, or very rarely. I discovered these forums early on and found them very helpful, along with the Universal Cure Calculator (thank you DiggingDogFarm) I've used it for several batches of bacon now (dry cure), a 6.5kg ham last Christmas, and various other experiments.

To cut a long story short, with a background in business, I'm now learning to code & as one of my initial projects I'm intending to write a mobile app similar to the cure calculator. I'm starting with Windows Phone & Android, to be followed later for iPhone, PC & Mac.

To start with it will have a cure calculator + recipe page (ability to save cure calc as a recipe with notes).

I'd be glad of feedback & suggestions that I can include as time goes on -  

Thanks!

Sam


----------



## diggingdogfarm

SamfFor,

Sounds good!
Please let us know when it becomes available....and welcome to SMF!!!


~Martin


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## mike w

Thanks for making this calculator. I tried making some small hams with great success. My next project is a 6lb boneless Boston butt that I'll be curing whole For more ham. I plan to equilibrium brine it and I have to inject 10% of weight with the brine. I plan to use 2lbs of water for the brine.

Here is my question which I haven't had luck searching for: do I mix up the brine with cure and then take the 10% to be injected from that amount or mix up the brine and then a  separate batch for the 10%. Hope that makes sense. 

I intend to make larger and larger hams that'll fit in my fridge. Unfortunately I can't get a 5gal bucket into it.


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## diggingdogfarm

Mike W said:


> do I mix up the brine with cure and then take the 10% to be injected from that amount



Yes...no separate batch of brine.




~Martin


----------



## starwars1138

Hi Martin - thanks SO much for this thread and for the calculator.  I've been trying to wrap my head around the whole concept of EQ curing (brine or dry) for a day or so but being able to read this thread and then mash away at the calc it has finally made sense - so thanks for that!

Perhaps this question might be better asked elsewhere, but in asking it here, I figured the post would get a nice bump for visibility sake.

When adding additional ingredients - such as maple syrup - do you have a rule of thumb for how that would impact your amount of sugar % as derived from the calculator?  My assumption is that the sweetener form is irrelevant (especially in a brine so long as it will effectively dissolve).  So if you are using brown sugar instead of while sugar, you'd use the same amount (since brown sugar has the same sweetness as regular sugar - just the added flavor of the molasses).  I guess the issue comes down to what the "sugar" content of maple syrup is as compared to regular sugar... and then adjust accordingly.

Anyway - thanks again for helping make sense of this.  I'm doing the planning for breaking down a half hog soon and I wanted to make sure I had everything lined up ahead of time so when the meat hits the counter, I can concentrate on butchering it and not have to be all stressed out as to what/how I'm going to process/cure it.

Chris


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## dstar26t

I'm having an issue with this calculator when using an immersion equilibrium brine.  If I use Pops full strength brine with a 14.7 lb belly, I have to use 3 gal of brine to cover the slab (cut in half) in a bucket which by recipe requires 3oz (85g) cure #1.  After inputting everything into the calculator, it shows I used a 295 ppm nitrite solution and should have only added 31g of cure (108 ppm for rind-on belly).  It also shows I used 5.24 salt % and 5.96 sugar % which seems high.  If I reduce the brine volume to the recommended 1kg meat to 0.4L water, I still get 134 ppm nitrite.  Is there an explanation for this?

Thanks,

Nate


----------



## daveomak

Pops brine is designed to use 1 gallon of water and up to ~10#'s of meat...   This is a good lesson in, "If you're using a curing recipe, DO NOT CHANGE IT"... 

I'm impressed you took the  time to run it through the calculator...  Most folk wouldn't even think of that... 

Now for the reason.....

Along with the above note....   1 tsp. of cure#1 is good for 5#'s of stuff....   1 TBS. of cure #1 is good for 15#'s of stuff....    it doesn't matter if it's water or meat....   Ppm is based on weight : weight.......  1 gram in 1,000,000 grams is 1 part per million....  makes sense...

Cure #1 is 6.25% nitrite... or 62,500 Ppm... .nitrite...    the rest is salt, sort of...

Now for your problem....    cut the belly into ~4" wide slabs, across grain...  place in 2 gallon zip bag and add 1 gallon of Pops brine....   easy....


----------



## dstar26t

Thanks Dave.  I've spent a lot of time reading about this brine and no where did I see a mention of a maximum amount of brine per lb of meat.  Posts only say to make sure the meat is covered so that's what I did.  I also have 7.5 lbs of poultry breast in this 3 gallons of brine but that is still not within the 1 gallon max to 10 lbs.  Calculator shows 265 ppm nitrite for all that meat which is significantly over the 200 ppm allowable.

Any suggestions?

Even keeping the 1 gallon limit to 10 lbs of meat and 1 oz cure #1 in that gallon gives over 200 ppm nitrite.  This bugs me and I'm glad I found this calculator eventually.  Hopefully I can salvage this 22 lbs of meat somehow.


----------



## dstar26t

Also, I may have missed it but do you subtract the weight of bone for this calculator?


----------



## daveomak

dstar26t said:


> Thanks Dave.  I've spent a lot of time reading about this brine and no where did I see a mention of a maximum amount of brine per lb of meat.  Posts only say to make sure the meat is covered so that's what I did.  I also have 7.5 lbs of poultry breast in this 3 gallons of brine but that is still not within the 1 gallon max to 10 lbs.  Calculator shows 265 ppm nitrite for all that meat which is significantly over the 200 ppm allowable.
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Even keeping the 1 gallon limit to 10 lbs of meat and 1 oz cure #1 in that gallon gives over 200 ppm nitrite.  This bugs me and I'm glad I found this calculator eventually.  Hopefully I can salvage this 22 lbs of meat somehow.





dstar26t said:


> Also, I may have missed it but do you subtract the weight of bone for this calculator?


Pops brine is close, very close to what folks need to cure stuff... If you read some of the recipes on the net for curing, they would scare you...   Pops recipe is for folks that want to cure a couple chickens, turkey, pork butt, slab of bacon etc. and anything else a first timer would want to cure...   

The results of anything you would cure in there are "safe enough" compared to other recipes..   Nothing in there will hurt you....  But like I said, if you find a recipe, don't change it....

A level TBS in one gallon is.........  8.3#'s water + 10 #'s of meat is not out of limits...   * you must have forgotten to add the weight of the water*     ..._ Even keeping the 1 gallon limit to 10 lbs of meat and 1 oz cure #1 in that gallon gives over 200 ppm nitrite. ....     _Pops recipe is a good, safe recipe....  

As a general rule, 120-200 Ppm is acceptable for ingoing nitrite...    skin and bones don't add a significant change in the calculation, unless you are controlled by the government...   The government will not allow Morton's Tender Quick to be used in bacon or any ready to eat meats....  because of the nitrate in it...  but it's allowed to be used by the general public....   go figure...  and calculations must be changed when curing bacon if the skin is left on...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine


----------



## dstar26t

DaveOmak said:


> Pops brine is close, very close to what folks need to cure stuff... If you read some of the recipes on the net for curing, they would scare you...   Pops recipe is for folks that want to cure a couple chickens, turkey, pork butt, slab of bacon etc. and anything else a first timer would want to cure...
> 
> The results of anything you would cure in there are "safe enough" compared to other recipes..   Nothing in there will hurt you....  But like I said, if you find a recipe, don't change it....
> 
> A level TBS in one gallon is.........  8.3#'s water + 10 #'s of meat is not out of limits...   * you must have forgotten to add the weight of the water*     ..._ Even keeping the 1 gallon limit to 10 lbs of meat and 1 oz cure #1 in that gallon gives over 200 ppm nitrite. ....     _Pops recipe is a good, safe recipe....
> 
> As a general rule, 120-200 Ppm is acceptable for ingoing nitrite...    skin and bones don't add a significant change in the calculation, unless you are controlled by the government...   The government will not allow Morton's Tender Quick to be used in bacon or any ready to eat meats....  because of the nitrate in it...  but it's allowed to be used by the general public....   go figure...  and calculations must be changed when curing bacon if the skin is left on...
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine


Ok Dave, thanks for holding my hand through this, I appreciate it.  I did have the water included but what I didn't realize was that the in-going nitrite in the equalization curing brine won't equal the finished ppm in the meat.  I stumbled upon the immersion cure lab analysis thread (http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/181560/immersion-bacon-curing-lab-test-results) and it gave me some info I was looking for.  252 ppm nitrite in the brine initially but only 86 ppm in the pork belly after 14 days for Pop's brine.  Now what I'm wondering is if the nitrite take-up is the same for chicken/turkey/goat, etc, as it is for pork?  I found some nitrite test strips but they only go up to 80 ppm.  It might be possible to use those strips if the sample was diluted 2:1, depending on the concentration.  The only other way to measure that I've found requires a spectrophotometer which I don't happen to have at home.

There were also some unclear parameters in the brine thread you linked, e.g., level vs. heaping tbsp, amount of brine to meat ratio.  Even after reading every post.

If I could point you (or anyone who can help) toward this thread, I'd really appreciate some feedback regarding the poultry cross contamination.


----------



## daveomak

Poultry has some specific bacteria that is not common in other meats...   that is why poultry need to be cooked to 165 ish to kill those pathogens..   When you brine poultry and beef together, your beef NOW needs to be cook to 165...


----------



## palladini

I viewed your site and looked good, Bookmarked it, my add blockers took out most of the top items.


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## kit s

Martian

Been using your calculator for a while. What a great tool you made. It saves so much time.

Used for dry and wet brine with good results.

Lately though the link for the calculator has been unavailable. Been redirected to a another site that ask for you to contact them.

Well not sure what is going on, but if you have another site or can tell me if this tool is going to be available again, please drop a note.

Hope there is some way that you can make it available again.

Thanks Kit


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## diggingdogfarm

Thanks Kit,
I'm going to try to look into it today if the hosting company is open, if not, tomorrow.

~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

It should be up and running again.
If it doesn't load, clear your browser's cookies.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you notice another issue.

Thanks again, Kit!

~Martin


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## maiko

Deleted


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## mike1ranger

OK, so this might be a dumb question but I'm just trying to learn everything I can before jumping into dry cured bacon.  did a wet cured not too long ago but all I see is try both and see what you like best.

When using this calculator, you get your accurate weight of meat, work the calculator magic, mix the cure, sugar, and salt until well mixed and the cure is distributed evenly throughout, then just rub the cure mixture onto the bacon and then into a bag to cure for several days?

Regarding the salt and sugar, we're talking plain table salt or koshar salt and white or brown sugar, correct?  Sorry if the questions seem too obvious or rookie-ish but just wanting to be certain before doing it.

Mike


----------



## diggingdogfarm

mike1ranger said:


> When using this calculator, you get your accurate weight of meat, work the calculator magic, mix the cure, sugar, and salt until well mixed and the cure is distributed evenly throughout, then just rub the cure mixture onto the bacon and then into a bag to cure for several days?



Yes



mike1ranger said:


> Regarding the salt and sugar, we're talking plain table salt or koshar salt and white or brown sugar, correct?



Non-iodized salt or Kosher salt or sea salt, etc.
White or brown sugar or a mixture of both.


----------



## mike1ranger

Thanks Martin. 2 more questions:

1.  The calculator defaults to 156 ppm but can be changed. I see stuff out there saying dry cure/should be no more than 120 ppm. How/why did you come up with default 156, which I assume is a recommended value?

2. Will the dry rub/cure penetrate the fat cap of a piece of pork belly or should the entire amount be put on the meat side?


----------



## diggingdogfarm

mike1ranger said:


> 1. The calculator defaults to 156 ppm but can be changed. I see stuff out there saying dry cure/should be no more than 120 ppm. How/why did you come up with default 156, which I assume is a recommended value?



Depends on what you're curing. The numbers come from the USDA.



mike1ranger said:


> 2. Will the dry rub/cure penetrate the fat cap of a piece of pork belly or should the entire amount be put on the meat side?



I would go heavier on the meat side.

I recommend a good book such as *Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages *by by Stanley and Adam Marianski.

If you have specific questions—please send me a PM. 

Thanks!


----------



## smokin vegas

daveomak said:


> Pops brine is designed to use 1 gallon of water and up to ~10#'s of meat...   This is a good lesson in, "If you're using a curing recipe, DO NOT CHANGE IT"...
> 
> I'm impressed you took the  time to run it through the calculator...  Most folk wouldn't even think of that...
> 
> Now for the reason.....
> 
> Along with the above note....   1 tsp. of cure#1 is good for 5#'s of stuff....   1 TBS. of cure #1 is good for 15#'s of stuff....    it doesn't matter if it's water or meat....   Ppm is based on weight : weight.......  1 gram in 1,000,000 grams is 1 part per million....  makes sense...
> 
> Cure #1 is 6.25% nitrite... or 62,500 Ppm... .nitrite...    the rest is salt, sort of...
> 
> Now for your problem....    cut the belly into ~4" wide slabs, across grain...  place in 2 gallon zip bag and add 1 gallon of Pops brine....   easy....



I have never tried curing bacon I would love to try it do you have any suggestions before I get started?  Thanks you.  Smokin' Vegas


----------



## daveomak

smokin vegas said:


> I have never tried curing bacon I would love to try it do you have any suggestions before I get started?  Thanks you.  Smokin' Vegas



SV, afternoon....    I appreciate the opportunity to assist you...
The following is based on the USDA recommended values to a commercial operation that is selling to the public... 
For a brine/submerged/cure...  weigh the meat...  weigh out about 25-50% the weight of the meat in your liquid...  I prefer distilled water to avoid and "off" tastes...  add the liquid and meat weights...  my preference is 2% Kosher salt, 1% white sugar, and 0.19% cure#1 max. (6.25% nitrite)....  That delivers ~120 Ppm nitrite...  Max. recommended for immersed/brined bacon...  rest in the refer for approx. 2 weeks..
For a dry rubbed belly, which I do most of the time...
Weigh the meat...  Mix together 2% Kosher salt, 1% white sugar and 0.32% cure #1 max.  That delivers ~200 Ppm nitrite.. Max. recommended for dry rubbed bacon...   distribute evenly over the belly..  rest in a refer at 38-40 deg . F for approx. 2 weeks...
Temps 34 F and lower hinder the nitrite absorption/adsorption....
When smoking, temps above ~130 start to break down the nitrite...   USDA tests have shown ~80-90% reduction in remaining nitrites, when meats were tested in the consumer refer case at retail outlets...  still adding a safety factor...

Following those recommended steps will give you a pure bacon flavor...   I would try a 1 or 2# belly hunk for my first try...   You may as well know what "clean" pig belly bacon tastes like.. then add garlic, onion, maple, black pepper, who knows...   Maybe last weeks gym socks would be good....  NOT !!!!!!!
There are many variations of makin' bacon on here...   cold smoke, warm smoke...   I cold smoke at <70 F...  finish the cook in the oven on a wire rack...   sliced..   sometimes brush maple syrup on the rashers just as they finish in the oven and let the syrup glaze the pig and have bacon candy...  only lasts the afternoon...
Well now you know everything I know...   good luck...  enjoy.....

Dave...


----------



## anglerman

diggingdogfarm said:


> Depends on what you're curing. The numbers come from the USDA.
> 
> 
> 
> I would go heavier on the meat side.
> 
> I recommend a good book such as *Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages *by by Stanley and Adam Marianski.
> 
> If you have specific questions—please send me a PM.
> 
> Thanks!



DiggingDog I sent you a PM. At least I hope it went through


----------



## forgiven1

Hi everyone,   

Could you guys check my math on this and make sure I have what I need?     I am making jerkey in a marinade.   I am using 4 pounds of beef (1814 grams) and 4 cups (954 grams)of liquid (3c water 1c soy sauce if it matters) .   With this one level teaspoon (4.2g) of #1 cure would give me 95ppm of cure correct?   Would this be within acceptable parameters?


----------



## anglerman

forgiven1 said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Could you guys check my math on this and make sure I have what I need?     I am making jerkey in a marinade.   I am using 4 pounds of beef (1814 grams) and 4 cups (954 grams)of liquid (3c water 1c soy sauce if it matters) .   With this one level teaspoon (4.2g) of #1 cure would give me 95ppm of cure correct?   Would this be within acceptable parameters?




1tsp would give you 100ppm so your math is correct


----------



## MeatSkull

I just weigh my meat and add 1/4 tsp per pound of cure #1 or #2 depending on what the project is. Easy Peasy.


----------



## Miket482000

diggingdogfarm said:


> I set up a javascript Universal Cure Calculator on my website.
> Here's the link for anyone who wants to play around with it....
> 
> http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html
> 
> The calculator can be used to calculate the amount of cure and salt required in sausage...the amounts of cure, salt and sugar for a dry cure mix...it can also be used to calculate the ingredients for an equilibrium brine, etc.
> 
> *[COLOR=#red]The calculator is preset for Cure #1 at 6.25%, do not change that number unless you know what you are doing.[/COLOR]*
> 
> Update: I changed the 6.25% value to "read only" so it can't be changed.
> 
> There's also a handy weight converter for converting pounds to grams.
> 
> Please only use the calculator if you have a full understanding of the technical and safety issues involved.
> 
> Triple check your work!!!
> 
> Have fun!
> 
> ~Martin


The correct amount for Cure #1 or 2 is 0.25% up to 0.3% Curing salt for some depending on the product being made.  For most, it is best to stick to 0.25%!!!!  The calculator you have posted gets the correct amount in the figures below, but you have the amount up top at 6.25%, while this is the amount of Nitrite or Nitrate in the Cure it is not the percentage you use to calculate the amount of curing salt to use!  This is very misleading!  If someone takes your percentage of Cure and uses it to calculate the amount themselves without going back to your calculator they will be using WAY too much cure!  So as long as they use your calculator they will get the correct amount of Cure, but if they use 6.25%, and calculate the amount themselves without going back to the website they will get massively too much cure! For safety, the amount of cure calculation percentage needs to be changed to reflect the correct amount of Curing Salt to use, not the amount of Nitrate in the salt.


----------



## Miket482000

MeatSkull said:


> I just weigh my meat and add 1/4 tsp per pound of cure #1 or #2 depending on what the project is. Easy Peasy.


If you are using spoons to measure your Curing Salt, the correct amount is 1/4 Teaspoon for every 1.25 pounds of meat, as it is used at a rate of 1 teaspoon for 5 pounds of meat!  You are technically using too much Cure, not sure how much that really matters, but just an FYI.


----------



## rexster314

Miket482000 said:


> The correct amount for Cure #1 or 2 is 0.25% up to 0.3% Curing salt for some depending on the product being made.  For most, it is best to stick to 0.25%!!!!  The calculator you have posted gets the correct amount in the figures below, but you have the amount up top at 6.25%, while this is the amount of Nitrite or Nitrate in the Cure it is not the percentage you use to calculate the amount of curing salt to use!  This is very misleading!  If someone takes your percentage of Cure and uses it to calculate the amount themselves without going back to your calculator they will be using WAY too much cure!  So as long as they use your calculator they will get the correct amount of Cure, but if they use 6.25%, and calculate the amount themselves without going back to the website they will get massively too much cure! For safety, the amount of cure calculation percentage needs to be changed to reflect the correct amount of Curing Salt to use, not the amount of Nitrate in the salt.



Just wondering what you point is. The DD calculator is meant to be used all the way through, using the converter for pounds to ounces (in my case) then inputting the results in the calculator, adjusting the salt and sugar amounts to your tastes, then making the cure using the three results based on the calculator. Been doing it for years . And over all these years (9) I've seen hundreds of people on different forums using this website and no negative feedback. Anyone deviating from the calculator is their problem


----------



## thirdeye

Miket482000 said:


> ...*So as long as they use your calculator they will get the correct amount of Cure,* but if they use 6.25%, and calculate the amount themselves without going back to the website they will get massively too much cure! For safety, the amount of cure calculation percentage needs to be changed to reflect the correct amount of Curing Salt to use, not the amount of Nitrate in the salt.


For those of us that learned how to calculate the weight of cure #1 by longhand, there are a several constants based on the meat weight:  One is 0.25% of the meat weight.  The second is 2.5g of cure #1 per 1000g of meat weight.  A third is 1.13g of cure #1 per pound of meat weight.  There are still volumetric measurements out there, but they are generally not recommended.  For what it's worth, I understand how the calculator works because I understand all of the variables involved.  To go one step further, the calculator is actually a tick more accurate than my longhand calculations because it reduces the % salt because it takes into account the salt carrier in cure #1.

*You are correct in that the calculator works.  *And I see where you are headed.... if someone did not understand that cure #1 is 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt, and has not read the label,  did not understand how to calculate the amount needed, or failed to heed the warnings..... they could get themselves in trouble if they looked at the 6.25% figure on the calculator, then elected to not use the calculator and used that percentage incorrectly in their calculation. 

There are several (text boxes?) above the calculator that do not load in my browser.  Do these have an explanation of how to use the calculator, and why the 6.25% figure can not be changed? Maybe you see them in your browser?


----------



## Lonzinomaker

I use DD calculator and weigh all ingredients using grams. 
Most bakers will tell you that weighing ingredients gives more consistant results than using volume.


----------



## rexster314

thirdeye said:


> There are several (text boxes?) above the calculator that do not load in my browser.  Do these have an explanation of how to use the calculator, and why the 6.25% figure can not be changed? Maybe you see them in your browser?


The creator of the calculator posted in his original post that he had made that figure a read-only box for safety. I think the web page hasn't been updated to comply with the new versions of browsers. I tried Edge, Firefox and Chrome and they just don't load


----------



## pc farmer

It works for me on chrome.  The calculator part does.   Some of the other stuff dont load.


----------



## Miket482000

thirdeye said:


> For those of us that learned how to calculate the weight of cure #1 by longhand, there are a several constants based on the meat weight:  One is 0.25% of the meat weight.  The second is 2.5g of cure #1 per 1000g of meat weight.  A third is 1.13g of cure #1 per pound of meat weight.  There are still volumetric measurements out there, but they are generally not recommended.  For what it's worth, I understand how the calculator works because I understand all of the variables involved.  To go one step further, the calculator is actually a tick more accurate than my longhand calculations because it reduces the % salt because it takes into account the salt carrier in cure #1.
> 
> *You are correct in that the calculator works.  *And I see where you are headed.... if someone did not understand that cure #1 is 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt, and has not read the label,  did not understand how to calculate the amount needed, or failed to heed the warnings..... they could get themselves in trouble if they looked at the 6.25% figure on the calculator, then elected to not use the calculator and used that percentage incorrectly in their calculation.
> 
> There are several (text boxes?) above the calculator that do not load in my browser.  Do these have an explanation of how to use the calculator, and why the 6.25% figure can not be changed? Maybe you see them in your browser?
> 
> View attachment 515539


Yes, people that are experienced in curing and not brand new will know that the 6.25 is not the percentage of Curing salt to use!  I am concerned about someone that is not well versed in curing or is completely new to curing!  Someone that takes this percentage and does the calculations on a calculator, someone that doesn't take the time to log on to the online calculator, or someone that is not for whatever reason at the time able to get to the calculator online, and uses this percentage to calculate the amount of Curing salt!  The boxes at the top are not showing for anyone at this point, and I have no idea if they contain an explanation about the percentage shown.  The issue is that it needs to reflect the percentage used to calculate the amount of Curing Salt to use shown below in the answers boxes!  The amount that is calculated by the online calculator is the correct amount, but it is not the amount you would get using the percentage displayed above!  For someone that is not familiar with curing this will be very confusing and could lead to someone getting sick! It really needs to be changed to the percentage that is used to get the answer displayed 0.25%.


----------



## thirdeye

rexster314 said:


> The creator of the calculator posted in his original post that he had made that figure a read-only box for safety. I think the web page hasn't been updated to comply with the new versions of browsers. I tried Edge, Firefox and Chrome and they just don't load





pc farmer said:


> It works for me on chrome.  The calculator part does.   Some of the other stuff dont load.


 
So maybe the areas on Martin's page that don't load did have instructions when it was released.  But the thread itself has a lot of explanation, and Martin answers questions.  Take a look at the  EAT CURED MEAT calculator, and the MEAT AND SAUSAGES calculator pages..... they have some general information, but not detailed instructions.  But again, if you have an understanding of how to mix a curing formulation, the boxes on the various calculators make sense.


----------



## thirdeye

Miket482000 said:


> ...The amount that is calculated by the online calculator is the correct amount, but it is not the amount you would get using the percentage displayed above! For someone that is not familiar with curing this will be very confusing and could lead to someone getting sick! It really needs to be changed to the percentage that is used to get the answer displayed 0.25%.



I'm not disagreeing with you, but the presentation  of the calculator having fill-in boxes on top and a 'Calculate The Cure' button in the middle, and boxes titled Cure #1, Salt and Sugar *'needed' *at the bottom is somewhat logical. 

On a related topic.... the Cure #1 %  Nitrite box is locked.  The 'ppm' box has a default of 156 ppm, but that figure could be changed.  What's to stop someone from picking a higher ppm at random?  If the same careless person that doesn't understand what the 6.25% refers would probably not understand ppm.


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## Miket482000

Miket482000 said:


> Yes, people that are experienced in curing and not brand new will know that the 6.25 is not the percentage of Curing salt to use!  I am concerned about someone that is not well versed in curing or is completely new to curing!  Someone that takes this percentage and does the calculations on a calculator, someone that doesn't take the time to log on to the online calculator, or someone that is not for whatever reason at the time able to get to the calculator online, and uses this percentage to calculate the amount of Curing salt!  The boxes at the top are not showing for anyone at this point, and I have no idea if they contain an explanation about the percentage shown.  The issue is that it needs to reflect the percentage used to calculate the amount of Curing Salt to use shown below in the answers boxes!  The amount that is calculated by the online calculator is the correct amount, but it is not the amount you would get using the percentage displayed above!  For someone that is not familiar with curing this will be very confusing and could lead to someone getting sick! It really needs to be changed to the percentage that is used to get the answer displayed 0.25%.


If you want to get the same salt amounts, just subtract the cure amount from your salt amount.


thirdeye said:


> I'm not disagreeing with you, but the presentation  of the calculator having fill-in boxes on top and a 'Calculate The Cure' button in the middle, and boxes titled Cure #1, Salt and Sugar *'needed' *at the bottom is somewhat logical.
> 
> On a related topic.... the Cure #1 %  Nitrite box is locked.  The 'ppm' box has a default of 156 ppm, but that figure could be changed.  What's to stop someone from picking a higher ppm at random?  If the same careless person that doesn't understand what the 6.25% refers would probably not understand ppm.


The percentage listed in the locked box is 6.25%, and that is clearly NOT the percentage being used to calculate the value in the Cure #1 box amount at the bottom!  The Issue I am making is that someone that is inexperienced in curing may not realize that the percentage is incorrect and may take that as the percentage to use!  Not everyone will be able to come back to use the online calculator and if they use 6.25% to calculate the amount of Cure #1 they may get themselves or others into trouble by ingesting to much Nitrite!  The reason I am bringing this up is that I sent someone here to use this calculator and they did just that!  They thought that  6.25% was the correct percentage to use and had 25 times what they should have had in their cure!  The only reason that they did not actually use that much is they called me and had me check their amounts.  They did not have access to the internet where they were so they had written down the information from the page! Likewise, not everyone is going to take the time to scroll down and read the other posts!  They like him are going to see the Calculator use it and go, if they do as he did and take that 6.25% amount as being correct then there is a huge possibility for issues. I am not saying and have never said that people should be able to change the number in the upper Cure#1 box, what I am saying is that it needs to be 0.25%, not 6.25%!  The amount that this is the answer box at the bottom as I have said several times is correct and is being calculated at 0.25% not calculated with 6.25%!  To someone like my friend that is new to curing many not notice or realize that 6.25% is not the correct percentage to use!


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## thirdeye

Miket482000 said:


> The reason I am bringing this up is that I sent someone here to use this calculator and they did just that! They thought that 6.25% was the correct percentage to use and had 25 times what they should have had in their cure! *The only reason that they did not actually use that much is they called me and had me check their amounts.* They did not have access to the internet where they were so they had written down the information from the page! Likewise, not everyone is going to take the time to scroll down and read the other posts!



Sorry to hear that your friend got confused, and it's great you checked their math.  I've done just that hundreds of times.  It's all part of being a good mentor when introducing someone to a new hobby that requires understanding and accuracy.  For example, hobbies like home canning, reloading ammunition or skydiving can also be done with confidence as long as you understand and follow procedures.

*Instead of saying the '6.25%' number is misleading, or should not appear in the calculator, let's take a look at why it is there.*  If the curing mixture did not contain 6.25% sodium nitrite, the bottom line amount of cure would be wrong, and not all cures contain 6.25% sodium nitrite.  I currently use three curing products.... Morton Tender Quick, Hi Mountain jerky cure, and Cure #1.  All three have different percentages of nitrites or nitrite/nitrate combinations, and all have separate instructions for their use that are in accordance with government rules and regulations.  If I used the calculator with Tender Quick or Hi Mountain the amount needed would be wrong.  *The calculator only works with a cure mixture that contains 6.25% sodium nitrite.*  To go one step further, Cure #2 is used for meats like salami that are not cooked.  It also contains 6.25% sodium nitrite, but has 4.75% sodium nitrate which acts as sort of a time release agent as nitrates convert to nitrites over time.

I'm not trying to play down the seriousness of your friends mistake, nor am I playing the whataboutism card.  But two problems in curing circles that are directly related to lack of understanding are selecting the proper cure for the job, and adjusting amounts of cure when changing from a dry cure method to a curing brine (wet cure) method.  If you don't account for the water, the cure amount is too low.  At least three additional problems surface from time to time in online conversations.  For example, a user measures out the correct amount of Cure #1, then decides _"Gee, the amount looks so small, I added more",_ or maybe _"I wanted the cure to work faster, so I used more than recommended".   _Another very common problem is_ "Oops, I used tablespoons instead of teaspoons when measuring"._


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