Jockey Box Ice usage

[Rob2010SS]

Hey peeps. Doing an event with a jockey box that we’re renting. We’ve never used a jockey box. My question is in relation to the ice usage.


Those of you with experience, serving (3) 1bbl batches out of it, will we need to have a ton of ice on hand to refill or do they not go through much ice?

 

[VikeMan]

It would depend on things like the length of the event, the ambient temperature, the quality of the box's insulation, and even the temp of the beer in the kegs.

That said, for the events and the equipment I have done/used, I've never had to top off more than once, IIRC.

 

[cfrazier77]

What temp is your beer and what will your ambient temp be?

 

[Rob2010SS]

What temp is your beer and what will your ambient temp be?

The kegs will be kept in a cooler at approximately 38F. The ambient temp I do not know. Event is on 7/3 and weather people don’t know what it will do tomorrow haha.

It would depend on things like the length of the event, the ambient temperature, the quality of the box's insulation, and even the temp of the beer in the kegs.

That said, for the events and the equipment I have done/used, I've never had to top off more than once, IIRC.

Good info, thanks.

Event is 3-4 hours. Temp of the beer will be approximately 38F.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

Maybe if you could wrap some bubble wrap around your kegs for insulation, the warming from the ambient temperature will be reduced greatly and reduce your ice consumption.

 

[IslandLizard]

The kegs will be kept in a cooler at approximately 38F.

What kind of a "cooler?"
Sixtels or half bbl kegs?

 

[Rob2010SS]

Maybe if you could wrap some bubble wrap around your kegs for insulation, the warming from the ambient temperature will be reduced greatly and reduce your ice consumption.

Not a bad idea! Might try that.

 

[Rob2010SS]

What kind of a "cooler?"
Sixtels or half bbl kegs?

I don’t know the brand. We’re renting it.

The kegs are half bbls

 

[IslandLizard]

The kegs will be kept in a cooler at approximately 38F.

I don’t know the brand. We’re renting it.
The kegs are half bbls

I've never seen a "beverage cooler" that can hold a half bbl. Most rental outfits may count on sixtels being used.

At events most craft brewers use 19 gallon "rope tubs" for their half bbls. Ice in the bottom, and a bag of ice on top. Placed in the shade if possible. Cover the whole rig with a blanket and/or some Reflectix if you want to keep it cooler and reduce ice use.

In lieu of rope tubs (Walmart?) you can probably use large totes instead.
As @Closet Fermenter said, wrapping the keg with Reflectix definitely helps keeping it cold.
The bag of ice on top is important.

Some unsolicited tips:

1. Count on being there early to set up and get things working to your liking.
   • We spent about an hour Saturday setting up our club's 6-tap jockey box. There were 3 of us working on it, all very familiar with the ins and outs.
2. Have enough CO2 on hand.
3. Don't leave a spare gas tank in the car/truck! Heat blows...
4. Bring your tools.
5. Have signs for your booth, your beer, your brewery.
6. Any swag on hand?

 

[Wayne1]

Quick tip:
Connect the kegs to the jockey box and run some beer through the faucets BEFORE you add ice to the jockey box. If beer is not in the coils, there may be a chance for the rinse water to freeze when ice is added.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I've never seen a "beverage cooler" that can hold a half bbl. Most rental outfits may count on sixtels being used.

At events most craft brewers use 19 gallon "rope tubs" for their half bbls. Ice in the bottom, and a bag of ice on top. Placed in the shade if possible. Cover the whole rig with a blanket and/or some Reflectix if you want to keep it cooler and reduce ice use.

In lieu of rope tubs (Walmart?) you can probably use large totes instead.
As @Closet Fermenter said, wrapping the keg with Reflectix definitely helps keeping it cold.
The bag of ice on top is important.

Some unsolicited tips:

1. Count on being there early to set up and get things working to your liking.
   • We spent about an hour Saturday setting up our club's 6-tap jockey box. There were 3 of us working on it, all very familiar with the ins and outs.
2. Have enough CO2 on hand.
3. Don't leave a spare gas tank in the car/truck! Heat blows...
4. Bring your tools.
5. Have signs for your booth, your beer, your brewery.
6. Any swag on hand?

Good tips! I appreciate it.

Although I’m confused on your comment: “I’ve never seen a beverage cooler that can hold a half bbl.”

The cooler isn’t holding it, the beer is just being poured through it… as I missing something?

However after watching some videos, I understand the need to keep the keg cold as well so we’ll be investing in something to keep the kegs in ice, whether that be a plastic tote or tub or something of the sort.

As far as your other tips, we’re going to have a 10 lb tank and 2 5lb tanks. I think that should do just fine.

Yep we’ll have the tools.

And yes we have swag. We bought tshirts, coozies, and stickers.

 

[Rob2010SS]

What kind of a "cooler?"
Sixtels or half bbl kegs?

Ahhh this. I see the confusion.

The kegs, prior to the event, Will be kept in a cooler/chest freezer held at 38F. However, I did not have a plan for the kegs to be kept cold at the event. Working on that solution now.

 

[cmac62]

The whole idea of a jockey box is so you don't have to keep the whole keg ice cold. I'd get some reflextic and wrap them, but it should hold the temp okay for 3-4 hours. 15 gals of beer has a lot of thermal mass. Also the 25-50 feet of tubing covered in ice is were the next beer is coming from, not the keg. I wouldn't worry too much about keeping the kegs ice cold, cool yes, but not in ice. Have fun.

 

[VikeMan]

The whole idea of a jockey box is so you don't have to keep the whole keg ice cold. I'd get some reflextic and wrap them, but it should hold the temp okay for 3-4 hours. 15 gals of beer has a lot of thermal mass. Also the 25-50 feet of tubing covered in ice is were the next beer is coming from, not the keg. I wouldn't worry too much about keeping the kegs ice cold, cool yes, but not in ice. Have fun.

Have you poured at a high volume, outdoor event in warm/hot weather? Keeping the kegs in ice tubs is S.O.P. around here (South Central PA). I can't think of an outdoor event where tubs and the ice to fill them weren't provided. Even indoors, it's done more often than not.

 

[cmac62]

Have you poured at a high volume, outdoor event in warm/hot weather? Keeping the kegs in ice tubs is S.O.P. around here (South Central PA). I can't think of an outdoor event where tubs and the ice to fill them weren't provided. Even indoors, it's done more often than not.

I suppose if the beer isn't in the tubes long enough to chill then keeping the keg iced would be a good plan. Our club recently upgraded to a plate system and in So Cal we did not need to chill the beer going into the system at the So Cal Homebrew fest. It was in the shade and coolish, but the plates remove heat better I'm sure. Also there were 14 beers on tap. That may have made a difference.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I suppose if the beer isn't in the tubes long enough to chill then keeping the keg iced would be a good plan. Our club recently upgraded to a plate system and in So Cal we did not need to chill the beer going into the system at the So Cal Homebrew fest. It was in the shade and coolish, but the plates remove heat better I'm sure. Also there were 14 beers on tap. That may have made a difference.

The jockey box we’re renting is also the plate system. We only get one shot at it so just to be safe, we’ll probably still ice the kegs

 

[Wayne1]

With a cold plate vs a coil jockey box, you will need to run the CO2 pressure higher. There is more restriction in a cold plate. Start about 30 PSI and adjust from there.

 

[VikeMan]

With a cold plate vs a coil jockey box, you will need to run the CO2 pressure higher. There is more restriction in a cold plate.

This depends on the particular cold plate and the particular coil. Sometimes the opposite is true.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Luckily the brew supply shop has experience with this box so I’ll run through their experiences with what has worked for them. We’ll see what they say

 

[Deadalus]

Have you poured at a high volume, outdoor event in warm/hot weather? Keeping the kegs in ice tubs is S.O.P. around here (South Central PA). I can't think of an outdoor event where tubs and the ice to fill them weren't provided. Even indoors, it's done more often than not.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the event was "high volume" but I have taken a 4 tap jockey box camping multiple times to Gettysburg as well as Hershey in the middle of the summer while storing the kegs in the shade over the weekend and still poured cold beer. My longest coils are 70 or 75 ft and the smaller two are 50 ft. My friends who accompany me are in no way lightweights but not necessarily high volume. Repeated pouring (high volume) warrants longer coils but otherwise I don't see the need for chilling the kegs. We do go through a lot of ice but that's going to happen anyway if you use ice to chill the kegs. It will likely be more wasteful of ice to do so as a well-insulated method to chill the kegs is generally not available hence the jockey box itself. I'm not saying don't chill them but I honestly don't see it as particularly necessary unless the consequence of failure is heavy. Like breaking a 100 degrees or something.

I will add slightly to the bring the tools comment and that is bring a few spare parts (disconnects, fittings, gaskets) even a second regulator if it is very important.