How to Mix Quikrete
To mix Quikrete, pour the bag into a wheelbarrow, add about two-thirds of the water printed on the bag, work it with a hoe, then add the rest a little at a time until it looks like thick oatmeal and holds its shape when squeezed. An 80 lb bag of Concrete Mix takes about 6 pints (3 quarts) of water. Stop while it's still stiff: extra water is the easiest way to ruin the batch.
How much water per bag
40 lb bag
3 pints
1.5 quarts, about 1.4 L
- Yield
- 0.30 ft³
60 lb bag
4 pints
2 quarts, about 1.9 L
- Yield
- 0.45 ft³
80 lb bag
6 pints
3 quarts, about 2.8 L
- Yield
- 0.60 ft³
90 lb bag
7 pints
3.5 quarts, about 3.3 L
- Yield
- 0.675 ft³
These are the starting amounts on the Concrete Mix No. 1101 data sheet. Start with about two-thirds and add the rest slowly, because you can always add water but you can't take it out. Need a bag count? Use the Quikrete calculator.
How to mix Quikrete by hand
- Make a well. Empty the bag into a wheelbarrow or tub and pull it into a ring with a hollow in the middle.
- Add two-thirds of the water into the hollow. For an 80 lb bag that's about 2 of the 3 quarts.
- Fold it in with a hoe. Drag the dry mix in from the edges until the water is soaked up and nothing is dry in the corners.
- Add the rest slowly, a cup or two at a time, and stop as soon as the batch is even and workable.
- Do the squeeze test. Quikrete's hand-mixing instructions say it "should look like thick oatmeal and should hold its shape when it is squeezed in a gloved hand."
You'll need a wheelbarrow or mixing tub, a hoe, a bucket to measure water, eye protection and waterproof gloves. Wet cement can burn skin, and OSHA's portland cement guide suggests "butyl or nitrile gloves (rather than cotton or leather gloves)" and warns that employees "cannot rely on pain or discomfort to alert them to cement burns."
Is it mixed right?
| What you see | Squeeze test | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Crumbly, dry pockets | Falls apart | Too dry: add water in small splashes |
| Thick oatmeal, wet sheen | Holds finger marks | Right: place it now |
| Soupy, water pooling on top | Runs through your fingers | Too wet: work in more dry mix |
Don't add too much water
A wet mix is easier to stir and pour, which is why people overdo it. Quikrete puts a number on the cost: "adding one extra quart of water per 80 lb bag can reduce the strength of the concrete by up to 40%." The extra water leaves pores behind as it dries out, so the slab cracks and spalls later. If a batch comes out too wet, open another bag and work some dry mix in rather than pouring it anyway.
Using a mixer or a bucket
Barrel mixer
Worth renting past six or eight bags. Put water in the drum first, add the bags with it turning, and per Quikrete's machine-mixing instructions "mix the concrete for about 3-5 minutes, until a uniform, workable consistency is achieved." Dump it right away. Past a cubic yard, which is about 45 bags of 80 lb mix, a ready-mix truck is usually less work. Here's what a truckload runs per yard.
5 gallon bucket
Fits a 60 lb bag but not an 80. A 5 gallon bucket holds 0.668 cubic feet, and Collomix says a bucket should be about a third larger than the fill, so about 0.50 cubic feet is usable. A 60 lb bag makes 0.45; an 80 lb bag makes 0.60.
Drill and paddle
Use a geared mixing drill, not a regular cordless drill. Collomix's point is that drills are "designed for speed rather than torque" and tend to overheat turning a paddle in stiff concrete. No mixing drill? Use a hoe.
Fence posts: no mixing needed
For posts, use Fast-Setting Concrete Mix, not regular Concrete Mix. Brace the post, and as Quikrete's post-setting instructions put it, "pour the dry concrete from the bag right into the hole, then add water." It sets in 20 to 40 minutes, and Quikrete says you can put heavy weight on the post after 4 hours. The full method is in the Quikrete fence post guide.
After the pour: keep it damp
Concrete cures, it doesn't dry, so keep it moist: the data sheet says 5 days at 70°F or warmer and 7 days at 50 to 70°F. Walk-on and full-strength times are in how long Quikrete takes to cure. For mixing from cement, sand and gravel instead of a bag, see how to mix concrete.
Frequently asked questions
How do you mix Quikrete?
Empty the bag into a wheelbarrow or tub, make a well in the middle, and pour in about two-thirds of the recommended water. Work it with a hoe, adding the rest of the water slowly, until it looks like thick oatmeal and holds its shape when squeezed. Stop while it is still stiff, and never chase an easier mix by adding extra water.
How much water for a 60 lb bag of Quikrete?
About 4 pints, which is 2 quarts or half a gallon, per Quikrete's Concrete Mix data sheet. Start a little under that, mix, and add the last bit only if the batch still has dry pockets.
How much water for an 80 lb bag of Quikrete?
About 6 pints, which is 3 quarts or three-quarters of a gallon. Quikrete lists this as the starting amount for an 80 lb bag of Concrete Mix.
How do you know when Quikrete is mixed right?
It should look like thick oatmeal with a wet sheen and no standing water on top. Squeeze a gloved handful: if it holds the shape of your fingers without slumping into a puddle, it is ready. If it crumbles it needs more water, and if it runs through your fingers it is too wet.
How to use Quikrete for fence posts?
Use Fast-Setting Concrete Mix, not regular Concrete Mix. Set and brace the post, pour the dry mix into the hole around it, then add water on top. It sets in 20 to 40 minutes and holds weight after about 4 hours, with no mixing required.
What happens if you add too much water to Quikrete?
It gets weaker. Quikrete says one extra quart of water per 80 lb bag can cut the concrete's strength by up to 40 percent. The mix is easier to work when it is wet, but the extra water leaves pores behind that make the finished concrete crack and spall.