Adding food coloring to beer. Which types might be safe?

[msa8967]

Some friends of mine would like me to make a house ale beer for St Patrick's day but also want it colored green. Can I safely add any food coloring to kegged beer without affecting its taste? If so, are there food colring dyes I should look for or avoid?

 

[Waynep005]

I would think most food colorings would do little to change the taste of your beer since they do not change the taste of food.. I would add it in small amounts lightly stir and check the reults and then add more if needed. That way you can get the color you want.

 

[homebrewdad]

The point of food coloring is that you can add it without changing anything else.

 

[November]

I recommend you just add a drop to each glass as you pour. Cleaning this out of kegs, lines, connections and everywhere else can be a PITA.

 

[tsname]

I recommend you just add a drop to each glass as you pour. Cleaning this out of kegs, lines, connections and everywhere else can be a PITA.

Troof.

 

[msa8967]

I recommend you just add a drop to each glass as you pour. Cleaning this out of kegs, lines, connections and everywhere else can be a PITA.

Good advice. I had not considered what the dye might do to the beer lines.

 

[Revvy]

The point of food coloring is that you can add it without changing anything else.

Also the point of food coloring is that you can add it to FOOD....Which would imply that it is safe.

 

[November]

Good advice. I had not considered what the dye might do to the beer lines.

Or your ceilings when a drunk friend offers to hook up the keg and smashes the disconnect of a pressurized keg with a hammer. I might still be in trouble with the wife for that debacle.

 

[bigbeergeek]

Has anyone actually stained their tubing/disconnects with food coloring or is this all homebrewer hearsay? Imperial stouts probably have more staining power than a light green cream ale, no? Anyone? If I were interested in green beer for St. Pat's I'd put green food coloring right into the serving keg.

 

[homebrewdad]

Also the point of food coloring is that you can add it to FOOD....Which would imply that it is safe.

Yeah, yeah.