Moisture Loss Percentage Calculator

Work out moisture loss percentage instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Moisture Loss Percentage Calculator

Weight loss during drying is all water, so the dry solids stay constant. Final moisture content is (final weight - solids) / final weight. Working backwards, the weight at a target moisture is solids divided by the dry matter fraction at that target, which is how dry-cured products are weighed to a percentage loss.

Formulas

Moisture balance

Solids = initial weight x (100 - initial moisture) / 100; final moisture % = (final weight - solids) x 100 / final weight

Target weight

Weight at target = solids x 100 / (100 - target moisture %)

Worked example

With the default values below, Moisture Loss Percentage Calculator returns Weight Loss of 15.0000%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Initial Weightminimum 0 g: 500 g
Final Weightminimum 0 g: 425 g
Initial Moisture Contentaccepts 0–100 %: 65 %
Target Moisture Contentaccepts 0–100 %: 55 %

Results

Weight Loss: 15.0000%
Final Moisture Content: 58.8235%
Weight Lost: 75.000
Weight At Target Moisture: 388.889

Step by step

1Values used
2Moisture balance
3Target weight
4Weight Loss= 15.0000
5Final Moisture Content= 58.8235
6Weight Lost= 75.000
7Weight At Target Moisture= 388.889

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do dry-cured products specify percentage weight loss?

Because it is easy to measure and directly determines water activity and therefore safety. A 35-40% loss target for dry-cured sausage corresponds to a shelf-stable water activity.

Does any solids loss occur?

A small amount of fat can render out and salt can be lost to brine, so the assumption of constant solids is an approximation. It is close enough for process control in most cases.