Jockey box build questions

[yesjenks]

Hello,

I'm looking to build a jockey box. What is the real difference between a cold plate and draft coil? Is one "better" than the other?

TYIA!

 

[bleme]

The cold plate is a lot easier to work with, but requires you to leave the drain in your jockey box open. Otherwise, a warm layer of water keeps it from cooling correctly.

The coil is a little more expensive and bulky, but then you can take the jockey box anywhere because it needs the drain to be closed.

 

[John Paul Stoddard]

Cold plates are usually Heavy...
Beer line are enclosed in a Solid Block of Aluminum..More thermal mass.


Coils are usually lighter weighter because the are simply a coil of tubing immersered in an Ice bath.

The Container holding the ice bath for both is the Jockey Box

 

[JoshuaWhite5522]

I use a cold plate it mine and it works great. The drain open thing doesn't come into affect unless you are pouring lots of beer through the the box, and the kegs are not refrigerated. I drain the water out of mine once for a three day camping excursion.

 

[bleme]

I use a cold plate it mine and it works great. The drain open thing doesn't come into affect unless you are pouring lots of beer through the the box, and the kegs are not refrigerated. I drain the water out of mine once for a three day camping excursion.

This makes a lot of sense. We only use ours for club events where we are going through 20-50 gallons in 4 hours. I think it would also matter how many taps you are planning. We have a 4-tap and a 10-tap system which both use plate chillers. I haven't prices smaller systems, but a coil system might have an advantage on a 1-2 tap system.

 

[JoshuaWhite5522]

Plate chillers are always cheaper than coil. Unless you want to run short coil. But then you're losing cooling efficiency

 

[JoshuaWhite5522]

This makes a lot of sense. We only use ours for club events where were are going through 20-50 gallons in 4 hours. I think it would also matter how many taps you are planning. We have a 4-tap and a 10-tap system which both use plate chillers. I haven't prices smaller systems, but a coil system might have an advantage on a 1-2 tap system.

That's a lot of beer. I have found cooling efficiency is increased if you make a bed of ice lay the plate chiller on the bed and then cover the plate with more ice

 

[bleme]

It also helps that we keep our kegs cold. Each of these coolers from Igloo hold 3 kegs plus ice.

 

[yesjenks]

Thanks for all the info!