Vinegar Dilution Calculator
Calculate how to dilute concentrated vinegar to a target acidity for cooking, pickling, cleaning, or food preservation.
Vinegar is an acetic acid solution. Its strength is measured by acidity percentage — the percentage of acetic acid by weight. Standard table vinegar is 5% acidity. Pickling vinegar is often 6–7%. Industrial cleaning vinegar can be 20–30%.
The dilution formula: To dilute a concentrated vinegar to a target acidity:
C1 × V1 = C2 × V2
Where:
- C1 = starting acidity (%)
- V1 = volume of concentrated vinegar to use
- C2 = desired final acidity (%)
- V2 = total final volume
Rearranged to find water to add: Water needed = V2 − V1 = (C1 × V1 / C2) − V1
Example: You have 20% cleaning vinegar and want 1 liter (1,000 ml) of 5% pickling vinegar:
- V1 = (5% × 1,000 ml) ÷ 20% = 250 ml of 20% vinegar
- Water to add = 1,000 − 250 = 750 ml
Common vinegar acidities:
| Vinegar Type | Typical Acidity |
|---|---|
| Table / white wine vinegar | 5% |
| Apple cider vinegar | 5–6% |
| Pickling vinegar | 6–7% |
| Rice vinegar | 4–4.5% |
| Balsamic vinegar | 6–8% |
| Cleaning vinegar | 6–10% |
| Industrial vinegar | 20–30% |
Why dilution matters for pickling: For safe home pickling, the USDA recommends using vinegar with at least 5% acidity. Diluting below this level can allow dangerous bacteria (including Clostridium botulinum) to grow in shelf-stable pickled goods. Always use a calibrated recipe and never reduce vinegar acidity below 5% for canned pickles.
Metric and imperial notes: This calculator works in any volume unit (ml, L, fl oz, cups) as long as you are consistent. Enter your start volume and target volume in the same unit, and the result will be in the same unit.
Tip: For dilution of very strong vinegars (20%+), always add vinegar to water (not water to vinegar) to safely control the concentration. This is especially important when working with industrial-strength acetic acid.