Help with Pink Color for a Grapefruit IPA

This weekend I brewed a Grapefruit IPA -- a dry beer with amarillo, cascade, simcoe, and citra hops. I wanted to give this a beer PINK color. My thought was something like Magic Hat Wacko -- a very clear, light pinkish/red color (but with more flavor). Magic Hat says they use beet juice. I got 2 cans of sliced beets, poured in the liquid from these cans, and boiled for about 45 minutes. Initially, it looked like it was going to be a peachy color, but by the end of the boil those red tones were gone. My guess is that the dye from the beets is hydrophobic, because the lupulin glands were stained black...

So this beer's in primary right now and probably at about 3-4 SRM -- pale straw. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I could throw in to secondary that would give me a pink color but compliment the "grapefruit" flavor? Thanks!

I'd imagine you could get the results you want with a little food coloring. Don't know if that would be a "legit" way of accomplishing it for you.

andybass said:

I'd imagine you could get the results you want with a little food coloring. Don't know if that would be a "legit" way of accomplishing it for you.

Click to expand...

Dye would be fine, but I know many red dyes get sort of "orangey" when they get diluted. Beet juice made sense because it's one of those dyes that is pinkish when it gets diluted.

I was thinking pomegranate juice might do the trick. Strong, red dye and would contribute a dry, tart flavor. Any comments?

i think i'd pull a small sample and test it by adding a drop of pom. juice at a time to see if you can even get your color.
if not, do the same with beet or food coloring, or whatever else you can think of to try.

Thanks guys...I pulled off a sample and tried adding some POM. It got a little pinkish hue, but the flavor was a bit off. I tried some a gel-based food coloring (my wife uses them for cakes) and it did the trick! I'll go with that at bottling.

you could off added dried hibiscus flower to the end of the boil as well. this turned my saison pink. it was a hit with ladies.

ColonelForbin said:

you could off added dried hibiscus flower to the end of the boil as well. this turned my saison pink. it was a hit with ladies.

Click to expand...

This is very interesting. Did they impart any flavor too or just the color? How much for a 5 gallon batch?

Just get pink food coloring, no sugars and gets the job done.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...fbb7582&itemid=290451573830&ff4=263602_263622

Seems like the most effective to me...

Yeah, last night tried these gel food colorings that SWMBO uses for cakes:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VMA16/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

A tiny bit on the tip of a toothpick turned 1 oz very pink. I'll dissolve some in vodka before adding at bottling. I think it will work well.

Blackcurrant juice, but be careful, it's really tart!

How does the Grapefruit IPA taste? I thought that I was the only one that thought of doing this. All of my friends made fun of me, so I never did it.

There is a good topic about this in the Mindless Mumbling section.

"MUST SEE Homebrew Video" is the topic name.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f45/must-see-homebrew-video-nsfw-195175/

You living in Florida I bet you have some of those prickly pear cactus, and could experiment with those. Here in Myrtle Beach they have their bright red fruits right now. I was thinking of picking some, slicing them thin, and soaking them in vodka. You could fill up a 5 gal bucket of water and see what color it turns it. If the color is right you could add it to your bottling bucket or keg.

Here is a link on how to prepare them for food:
http://www.wikihow.com/How-to-Eat-Prickly-Pear-Cactus

I read somewhere online someone using it in their beer. I don't remember what color it turned it though.

Oh yeah, I just maid a Vienna/Cascade SMaSH that tastes just like grapefruit.
1oz cascade at 60, 25, and 5min and you could swear there's grapefruit in it.

MacGruber said:

How does the Grapefruit IPA taste? I thought that I was the only one that thought of doing this. All of my friends made fun of me, so I never did it.

Click to expand...

I got the same reactions from people -- but I said screw it and made the grapefruit beer anyways. I transferred it into secondary this weekend. My expectations have been surpassed! The aroma was pineapple, mango, and tropical fruit. For having no late additions (FWH and 60 min boil only) I was very impressed. Flavor is spot-on grapefruit. Dry hopping with 0.5 oz each Citra, Amarillo, Cascade now. Can't wait until it's done!

Fletch -- that video is hilarious! I feel like I've hard parts of that conversation in the last couple of weeks...

Rover -- Unfortunately prickly pear isn't native in this part of Florida. However, I did see that some brewery used it in a wheat and got quite a pink color:

http://www.examiner.com/craft-beer-in-dallas/real-texans-drink-pink-beer

If you want to try it, I could send you some.

Rover said:

If you want to try it, I could send you some.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer -- I'm going back to Arizona in a couple months. I might try to pick some up while I'm there. I'm thinking it could be really good in some mead

knotquiteawake said:

This is very interesting. Did they impart any flavor too or just the color? How much for a 5 gallon batch?

Click to expand...

there were no flavors that i notices that were imparted, just color. i used an ounce

I use hibiscus in a similar beer. It also gives a kind of tart flavor which compliments the citrus really well. Have you ever had red zinger tea? It tastes and looks hibiscus based, I've never checked the ingredients but I would be surprised if it wasn't hibiscus. I use it in the boil, but for your purposes you may want to dry "hop" with it. Try an ounce for five gallons and see if it gives you enough color. If not add another ounce.

I think you've inspired one of my next batches. Where can I find a particularly good recipe?