Hey all, I'm putting together a tutorial on using the typical jockey box style beer servers/dispensers that are used in Japan. Please take a look at it and let me know if you have any more info to add. After review, I'll re-post it to the tutorial section and link-back to respective threads.

Thanks!

For those of us living and brewing in Japan, you know that space is limited and supplies can be hard to find or very expensive. Japan typically has their own way of doing things, and beer servers/dispensers are no exception. Instead of chilling the whole keg, these draft systems consist of a jockey box-type dispenser with a refrigerator unit to keep the conducting liquid cold. They can be found on auction sites and in second hand “recycle” shops for relatively cheap. The goal of this tutorial is to introduce such a system. Force carbing, carbonation units, filling a keg, etc. can be found elsewhere and are not in the scope of this tutorial.

Makers: From what I have seen, there are two major makers of the systems. Hoshizaki is probably the biggest one, followed by Nittoku. There are some other smaller names such as Bokuson. Hoshizaki is definitely the most common and if you are looking for adapters and such, this maker may be your best bet. In my experience, Nittoku seems to be a little more compact in design, which may be more suitable for typical living conditions in Japan.

The box: Like a typical jockey box, Japanese beer dispensers have 1-2 coils of either stainless steel or copper. These sit in a pool of chilled water. The water is chilled to near freezing temperatures with a refrigeration unit. There are typically 1-2 faucets on the front, with a built-in removable drip tray. There are connectors near the bottom of the server for beer line. There is also a plug for draining the water inside the server.

Faucets: The faucets are typically made of a combination of stainless steel and plastic. They usually come in regular or creamer style. The creamer style faucets have two outputs, allowing you to push the tap handle after drawing a pint to add head.

Hoses: Beer line is 5 mm inner diameter and 10 mm outer diameter. Gas hose is 5 mm inner diameter and 8 mm outer diameter. Gas hose is typically colored in some way or another, whether it be solid or tinted.

Connecters: Most of the connections are made with “one-touch” connecters. These don’t require any special tips to the hoses and are designed to be super easy. Simply push the hose into the connecter and you are done. The retaining ring can be pushed down as you pull out the hose to remove it. To prevent accidental pressure on the retaining ring and subsequently a keg of beer on the floor, there is a small spacer that is used to prevent the ring from being pushed down. The threads on the various connectors seem to be a standard ½ inch (can anyone verify this?) They are interchangeable between the gas-in post and the beer-out post, although they are not interchangeable in regards to hose type (gas/beer).

Gas: Japan uses a deposit system which can be great for you. This means you don’t have to fork out the money for the tank yourself and you don’t need to get it checked every few years. I paid a 5000 yen deposit, plus 2500 yen for a 5kg tank. When I run out, I take my tank in, and they swap it out with a full tank for the cost of just the gas. If you ever decide to quit brewing, you can return the tank and get your 5000 yen deposit back.

Regulators: Typical used regulators here seem to usually bear the names of big breweries here such as Asahi or Kirin. The picture shown is a double regulator, with the gas line output located on the bottom and the control dial on the side. The outputs are the same as those for gas lines, featuring one-touch built-in connectors. A majority do not have gauges. The dials have readings from 0-4, each number representing a bar of pressure, or 15 psi. Pressure should be set based on the temperature of the beer in the keg, not the temperature of the beer as it passes through the server.