Warm Days Jockey Box Balancing CO2

[wdevauld]

I'm looking to build a jockey ideally for use during the summer camping season. I can get ice, but I'll likely be in a warm climate (ie: the keg itself won't be chilled). I'd also like to make use of existing 50'-1/2 stainless tubing I have from an immersion chiller.

I've balanced a CO2 system before, there are enough calculators online to help a guy out, but in this case, I'm dealing with two different temperatures. It also seems to hurt me that the resistance provided by the entire bit of stainless tubing amounts to about 1.25 psi. And most likely the tap head is only going to be at most 2 feet above the top of the keg.

So lets say I can keep the keg at 65F, because that's the end of the table (http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php), and want 2.25vols. That would leave me with a pressure on the keg of about 23psi. So, if I don't want my beer to jet out and foam all over the place, how do I handle pressure reduction along with the coil's temperature reduction? I'd like to have a 10-12s/pint pour; I'll be even happier if it is slower as long as it produces a good head.

The real question, I guess, is where to put the choker and at what temperature?

If I have a 3/16 or 1/4 ID beverage line going to the jockey box that is long enough to drop the pressure, won't the temperature drop inside further reduce the pressure and result in flat beer? Is there a 'good' level to drop the pressure outside the box? If I run at the higher pressure into the box and coil, and put a reducing line between the coil and the tap, how long should it be (ie: what temperature and pressure do I use?).

Right now the only plan I have is to experiment with different setups. That seems like a waste of time _and_ beer, so I'd rather not do that. I figure that I'm not that unique, someone else has to have dealt with this before, so what is the best way to handle it?

 

[501irishred]

Seems like you would be fighting a loosing battle. To achieve a balanced system (at least a set it / forget type) you would need the beer to be a constant temperature. I would serve them at whatever pressure turned out to be beneficial to the pour, and turn up the pressure at night making assumptions of internal temp changes based on ambient temps (SWAG method). Do you plan on bringing warm kegs with you?

 

[wdevauld]

My plan at the moment is to carbonate the kegs in my fridge @ home, because there I have the control. The kegs will be cold when I take them, but who knows what temperature they'll be at when I arrive. I'm not even close to a production environment, so likely I'll be aiming for the pressure to be lower; the slow pour won't be too much of a bother.

Right now I'm leaning to having the choke line right after the keg, before the box. My reasoning here is that I can put a flare fitting on the intake of the box to easily change line lengths. I may even get a few male-male MFL connectors and just have a series of shorter lines I can daisy chain to the estimated length du jour.

I don't think it will ever be perfect, there are too many different variables at play. I'm going to error on the side of too much restriction because I hate pouring pints of foam more than I dislike no head appearing on the beer. Likely, during the day I may not even have pressure on the tank, just topping it up when the flow gets too slow. One last top up at the end of the day before bed to make sure there is CO2 there in the morning, as long as I don't forget, will probably be how I make it through the longer trips.

 

[501irishred]

Sounds good!

BTW - Here is my camping buddy. Not as easy to transport as a jokey box, but it’s nice once you getter there.

 

[IslandLizard]

Why not keep the kegs cold or cool at least? The fairly short 1/2" coil is not helping much with restriction, a thinner, longer coil will help you.

On location I keep my kegs in 5 gallon round water coolers and/or a 50-some quart cooler housing 2 kegs. All are in the shade. The (small) round coolers only take about 2 pounds of commercial ice cubes in the narrow space between the wall and the keg, and I stuff some bubble wrap between the top of the cooler and keg. The larger cooler holds at least 15# of ice, with reflectix around the kegs and bubble wrap sealing the top. Kegs are cold when they go in there, and I dispense from a picnic tap on a 6' long 3/16" beverage line, or a jockey box if a spare tap is available. At 10 psi there's a little extra foaming from the picnic taps, but from the jockey box which has either a 6-channel cold plate or 3/8" coils it's perfect. None are these are being tapped continuously or at high volume.

 

[wdevauld]

The fairly short 1/2" coil is not helping much with restriction, a thinner, longer coil will help you.

Yeah, in a perfect world I'd buy 5/16 and a lot of the problems would go away. I already have the 1/2, and I kinda want to use it.

I will also be trying as hard as possible to keep the kegs cool, but on hot August weekends, even the shade is toasty. Although I could sink the keg into a round cooler, that is a great idea; thank you.

 

[TheHopfather]

Jockey boxes tend to pour better at higher pressures. I've got 2 5/16 75' coils in mine and it pours best at ~30 psi or so. I'd guess about 10 seconds to fill a glass and minimal head. I find the biggest issue with the jockey box on multiple day trips is not over carbonating the beer.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, in a perfect world I'd buy 5/16 and a lot of the problems would go away. I already have the 1/2, and I kinda want to use it.

I will also be trying as hard as possible to keep the kegs cool, but on hot August weekends, even the shade is toasty. Although I could sink the keg into a round cooler, that is a great idea; thank you.

I understand you want to use the 1/2" coil you've got. Try it.
If there is space, you could coil some 3/16" bev. tubing inside the jockey box for extra resistance.

Also wrap a few turns of Reflectix around the part of the kegs that stick out the coolers. Anything to keep the cold in as much as possible.

Using 10 gallon round coolers give you a lot more ice volume, but also take up much more space. Rectangular coolers that can hold 2 or 3 kegs are more efficient space wise. At homebrew beer events many just use rope tubs with 3 or 4 cornies or sixtels or a half barrel keg in them and a couple bags of ice. They don't require much attention during a whole day in the shade or under a table.