What ratio for corned beef wet brine?

The canonical corned beef wet brine (per Ruhlman, ATK, Cook's Illustrated)

Corned beef = beef brisket (or round) cured in a salt + nitrite brine + traditional pickling spices for 5-10 days. The "corn" refers to coarse rock salt grains (corns) historically used; today regular kosher salt works the same.

The ratio (per 1 gallon brine = 1 imperial gallon = 3.78 L)

• Water: 1 gallon (3.78 L / 4 quarts)
• Kosher salt: 1 cup (200g if Diamond Crystal; 240g if Morton) — about 5-6% salt by water weight
• Brown sugar: 1/2 cup (110g)
• Pink curing salt #1: 5 tsp (25g) — gives nitrite at safe levels for 8-day cure on brisket
• Pickling spices (see below): 3-4 tablespoons whole
• Garlic: 6-8 cloves smashed
• Bay leaves: 4-5

Pickling spice blend (canonical)

Combine: 2 tbsp black peppercorns + 2 tbsp mustard seeds + 1 tbsp coriander seeds + 1 tbsp dill seeds + 1 tbsp whole allspice + 1 tsp red pepper flakes + 6 whole cloves + 2 cinnamon sticks broken + 4 cardamom pods + 2 bay leaves. (Or buy McCormick's pickling spice blend.)

Method

1. Heat 1 quart (1 L) water in pot. Add salt, sugar, pink salt, spices, garlic, bay leaves. Stir until salt dissolves.
2. Remove from heat. Add 3 quarts (3 L) cold water — bring brine to ~50°F before adding meat (hot brine starts cooking).
3. Place 5 lb brisket in non-reactive container (food-grade plastic, glass, or ceramic — NOT aluminum, which reacts with nitrite).
4. Pour cooled brine over meat. Weight with plate to keep submerged.
5. Refrigerate 7-10 days at 38-40°F. Flip meat every 2 days.
6. After cure: rinse brisket thoroughly. Cook by simmering 3-4 hours OR pressure cook 90 min until fork-tender.

Why exact ratios matter

Salt at 5-6% by water = full penetration through brisket thickness in 8-10 days. Below 4% = under-cured (taste flat, color uneven). Above 8% = oversalted, won't penetrate further but accumulates on surface.

Pink salt at 0.25 oz per gallon (25g) gives ~120 ppm nitrite at equilibrium — safe + effective. Without it: gray boiled beef instead of pink corned beef + slight botulism risk.

Sugar at 2-3% balances salt + adds depth. Some recipes use brown sugar (more molasses character) vs white (cleaner). Either works.

Brining vessel + weight

Use a non-reactive container exactly sized to the brisket — extra space dilutes the brine. Weight the meat down with a plate + jars or wrapped bricks to keep it fully submerged. Floating meat doesn't cure evenly.

Time variations

• 5 days = lightly cured; pink interior but limited spice/flavor depth
• 7 days = standard; well-cured throughout for typical 5 lb brisket
• 10 days = deeply cured; maximum spice integration; some salt accumulation on surface (rinse longer)
• 14+ days = oversalted in most cases; only attempt with lower salt %

Pre-cook rinse + soak

After curing, rinse thoroughly. For salt-sensitive recipes: soak brined brisket in cold water 1-2 hours, changing water once. This reduces salt from "cured-strong" to "balanced-strong" — most modern recipes do this step.

Cross-reference: see /pages/what-ratio-of/cure-salt-nitrite for nitrite chemistry + /pages/what-ratio-of/brine-salt-percentage for general brine math + /pages/how-long-does/curing-bacon for adjacent pork-curing.