Brine multiplier?

[KyNola]

If I want to double or maybe even triple the amount of a brine recipe, would I double or triple all of the ingredients?  The brine recipe has no cure #1 in it so that's not an issue.

[Kahunas]

Yep

[Ka Honu]

... double or... triple the amount... double or triple ... the ingredients?

I know they teach math and English differently in Kentucky but isn't that sort of basic to both subjects (not to mention that "logic" stuff).

[Tenpoint5]

I am going to read between the lines here, and guess that you may be brining something like a ham or loin to make into a ham. If so. MYSELF PERSONALLY, would make 3 individual brine's one for each of the 3 chunks of meat. Yes everything is probably dissolved into the water hence a brine. I'm just anal about thinking that some of the ingredients may fall out of the suspension and settle on the bottom. Then the bottom chunk might get something extra. Thought process is if this isn't possible. Then why do some recipes tell you to stir or mix the brine every couple of days. I am positive someone will be long to disprove my methodology on this thinking. So hang in there Kynola for the right answer

[sjmcdowall]

The answer, as indicated, is yes -- you need to X times all the ingredients.  Think about the brine as being a ratio (which it is) of salt in solution.  Generally about 5-8%.  So to keep the % the same (and you want to!) you need to make sure ALL ingredients are increased the same % amount. 

Tenpoint has a very valid input -- I made a large batch of Pastrami's (4X) and noticed that, even carefully, not all cured/brined the same .. Next time I'm going to do them individually and see if the result changes to a more uniform distribution ...

Oh -- here's a cool tip on getting a "perfect" brine solution each time, regardless of the type of salt you have ...

Fill a 2 (or more) measuring cup with 1 cup of HOT water.  Add salt until the level hits 1.5 cups -- and then add this slurry to 1 gal of water and Viola, a perfect 6.4% brine solution!  You can then add sugar, etc. to your hearts content. 

No more weighing the salt, etc. and again, doesn't matter if you use Morton's Kosher, Diamond, pickling salt, etc. :)

[Habanero Smoker]

As long as you got a container that can hold all the meat without crowding, and you overhaul (shift the meat around and stir the brine) every day it should brine just as well if you did them individually.

On doubling ingredients, the only ingredient you need to be cautious with are any type of chile. For example, Durkee recommends that you do no more then double a recipe that has cayenne pepper. Once you do more then double it, the heat factor increases exponentially. But in a brine with a large volume of water, it shouldn't be a factor.