Warm beer dampens any party. Kegerators, once thought to be the salvation to that problem, have proven all too often to fall flat. Why? Because the beer either doesn’t stay cold enough or whatever beer remains towards the day’s end spoils. The jockey box, however, solves all your problems, including the need for a power source.
These insulated containers house ice, water, and a long coil of metal tubing, and rely solely on ice for refrigeration. The beer sits in a keg beside the box. Through the tubing, it travels into one end of the jockey box, spirals through the ice-chilled coils of tubing to a draft faucet at the front of the cooler, then into your cup.
Its patented design keeps your beer at the perfect temperature through its long, but swift, journey through the ice water-filled box, which alleviates any spoilage and heightens flavor. Unlike keg taps, it also reduces foaming by using CO2 to push the beer out properly, which stands up better in high-pour situations.
3 Questions
How’s it going to be used? Are aesthetics important to you? Go the all-stainless-steel route for a polished look. Want something rugged? Look for the models made to withstand the rigors of challenging environments.
What am I filling? If you’re only looking to pour pints, then a 50-foot coil will suffice. But if you’re pouring pitchers, you might consider 100-foot coils. Keep in mind that longer coils mean you’ll need more PSI (pressure) from your CO2 dispenser to make the pour.
Where will it be stationed? Festivals, parking-lot tailgates, soirees, and backyard patios each have their own distinct atmosphere, vibe, and crowd. For instance, you might want more taps to provide more options or simply more access—four tends to be the max. Or you might want to present a more refined or simplified look by ensuring the inputs are out of sight.
For example, these units from Coldbreak has its two input ports on the back of the box, meaning messy beverage lines from the kegs connect to the rear of cooler, which leaves a clean look from the front for your guests.
When you get new jockey box, keep this in mind every time you set up—before you add the ice, run beer through the lines. By running beer through the coils and taps, you flush out any water within the coils. Otherwise, if you add ice first, that trapped moisture, often left behind after a cleaning, can freeze and block the line. Whereas beer, with its much lower freezing point than water, alleviates any fears of freezing inside the coils.
If all looks good after the beer flush, then fill your jockey box with cold water up to the top of the coil stacks and fill the rest with ice. Now, let the good times flow.