Wednesday, January 8, 2025
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What’s a Jockey Field? Your Information to Draft Beer On the Go

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Should you’re searching for final portability and ice-cold draft beer in even the warmest climate, you’ll get all of it with a jockey field.

Jockey Box on Picnic Table

This on-the-go draft beer possibility fills the big void between the keg get together pump’s simplicity and a kegerator’s comfort. It combines most of the qualities of every whereas permitting you to deliver it anyplace. It’s distinctive, like an out of doors kegerator you possibly can take to any get together or occasion. It can be greater than only a tailgate or tenting possibility. You’ll be able to even “gown up” your jockey field by constructing a jockey field cowl that lets it double as useful decor at weddings or formal occasions.

What’s a jockey field?

A jockey field is a cellular draft beer system constructed into a regular, insulated ice cooler. It depends solely on ice for refrigeration, so it doesn’t require any electrical energy to function. Beer travels from a keg (which should be cooled) into one finish of the cooler, by the jockey field coils to a draft faucet on the different finish of the cooler, and into your ready cup. Provided in full or conversion kits, they are often arrange from scratch or constructed into an outdated cooler.

Jockey field shelling out is a step up from a regular get together pump keg. Its patented design does a significantly better job at maintaining your beer on the good temperature serving to to scale back foaming, it makes use of CO2 to push the beer out correctly (more energizing beer with no extra pumping!), and it stands up higher to high-pour conditions.

The identify “jockey field” comes from the truth that you possibly can transfer (or jockey) the unit simply from place to put. It is supreme for serving draft beer outside, similar to picnics, tailgates, and beer festivals.


Components of a Jockey Field

A. Blue cooler with drain
B. Stainless-steel coil
C. Metal shank
D. Cooler coupling
E. Chrome faucet
F. Black faucet deal with
G. Beer line jumper
H. US Sankey coupler
I. Double gauge CO2 regulator
J. Air line jumper
Ok. New aluminum CO2 tank (empty)

jockey-box-diagram

The Basic Conundrum: Jockey Field vs. Kegerator

A kegerator is a hard and fast setup. It’s a nice alternative for somebody who enjoys draft beer at house from a sturdy unit. There are additionally quite a lot of outside kegerators to your yard leisure. Select kegerators for those who prefer to entertain at your own home. They are often transported, however they’re not supreme for lugging round each time you go to a celebration.

Jockey packing containers derive their identify from the phrase “jockey round,” which implies they’re simple to maneuver from place to put. Perfect for outside occasions the place chilly beer and fast pouring is essential, jockey field coils cool the beer because it travels by them. This provides you a superbly chilled beer each time the faucet is pulled. There are various locations the place a kegerator isn’t possible, similar to tailgate events, festivals, business bars that wish to deliver their beer to an occasion, or tenting. That’s the place the jockey field comes racing in upon its trusty steed.


Which jockey field coil measurement & form to decide on?

Stainless-steel jockey field coils are available in quite a lot of styles and sizes. It depends upon your occasion or scenario as to which to go together with.

jockey box coil types

Jockey Field Coil Lengths

50-Foot Jockey Field Coils

The 50-foot coil is greatest used for smaller events or occasions, the place the beer won’t be repeatedly poured all through.

70-Foot Jockey Field Coils

The 70-foot coil presents extra floor space supplying you with extra cooling energy, which is beneficial in busier occasions the place the beer flows slightly sooner.

120-Foot Jockey Field Coils

These extra-long coils are good for brewers working offsite occasions the place steady pouring is critical, similar to a beer competition or large get together.


Jockey Field Coil Shapes

Round Jockey Field Coils

For almost all of setups, you’ll be simply superb utilizing a standard-sized round coil.  Should you plan to serve three or extra beers, you’ll want a bigger 60-quart cooler or a number of coolers to accommodate normal coils.

Sq. Jockey Field Coils

Excessive-efficiency sq. coils embody a spacer between every coil for a extra uniform cool. The spacer retains the 304 stainless-steel coils barely elevated in order that each inch is involved with the ice tub, maintaining your beer additional chilly.

Mini Jockey Field Coils

Mini round coils are nice for smaller, 9-quart coolers or multi-tap jockey packing containers. You’ll be able to match as much as 4 faucets in a 48-quart cooler utilizing mini jockey field coils, which makes transportation a lot simpler. Along with maximizing area, the additional compact design offers some additional cooling energy, as you’ll have extra space to pack in ice water.


Utilizing jockey field coils vs. chilly plate

An extra technique for chilling beer inside a jockey field is utilizing a chilly plate. A chilly plate is a skinny steel field containing a chrome steel tube for beer to circulation by to the tap. Ice is available in contact with the plate, which chills the beer-filled tube inside.

Whereas easier in design than a coil, a chilly plate is an inferior technique for maintaining your beer chilly, particularly for those who’re serving at an occasion the place the beer is being poured regularly as a result of a chilly plate holds much less liquid than a jockey field coil. The necessity for the chilly plate to be consistently involved with ice additionally requires you to maintain including extra ice to your cooler and drain the melted ice water.

We advocate utilizing coils to your jockey field as a result of they’re higher at maintaining your beer chilly, so you do not lose as a lot from foamy pours.


Easy methods to arrange a jockey field

For the simplest set up, a full jockey field setup with all of the facilities included will doubtless trigger the least complications.

Coils set up in a jockey box

Components You’ll Want

Instruments You’ll Want

The hex nut and spanner wrench can be helpful for attaching your beer faucet and the jockey field coils to the shank and cooler coupling. Rubber washers ought to be utilized in any location the place two items of steel come into contact with each other all through any draft beer system to forestall leaks. A CO2 tank wrench will fasten the regulator to the CO2 air tank. You’ll additionally want a flathead screwdriver to regulate the PSI degree in your CO2 regulator and safe screw clamps.

Step 1: Chill your keg!

To maintain your beer from getting too foamy, ensure you maintain your keg on ice the entire time you are utilizing the jockey field, even because the coil cools the beer because it travels contained in the cooler to the faucet. A Tremendous Cooler presents full insulation and a colourful look and can maintain your keg chilly all weekend with simply three luggage of ice. An insulated keg jacket or sleeve works nice too. An old style ice and bucket will work for those who don’t have both of these choices, however proceed so as to add ice to the bucket all through the day and maintain your keg out of direct daylight.

Step 2: Join beer line jumper from cooler coupling to keg coupler.

Join one finish of the beer line jumper to the cooler coupling situated on the again of the cooler, reverse of the shank and tap. Tighten the reference to the hex nut wrench. Join the opposite finish of the beer line jumper to your coupler. Make sure to seek the advice of a keg coupler record to make sure you’re utilizing the appropriate coupler kind to your beer.

Step 3: Connect air line jumper to each CO2 regulator and keg coupler.

Connect one finish of the air line jumper to the CO2 regulator and the other finish to the hose barb of the keg coupler. Use the flathead screwdriver to tighten every connection to keep away from leaks.

Step 4: Connect regulator to CO2 tank by CO2 inlet nut.

Use the CO2 air tank wrench to attach the regulator to the CO2 tank by the inlet nut.

Step 5: Connect coupler to keg.

Start with the coupler’s deal with in a closed place or dealing with diagonally and upright. After screwing the coupler into the keg, making a agency seal, push the coupler handler downwards in order that it’s lowered and dealing with extra straight out than diagonal. Some beer ought to enter the vinyl beer line at this level.

Step 6: Open up the air tank.

Flip the hand wheel to have interaction your compressed air tank, and transfer the shut-off valve on the backside of the regulator to the ON place, which can imply it’s dealing with downwards or parallel to the regulator output barb and the air line connected to it. You’ll hear air coming into the draft system when it’s turned on.

Step 7: Alter the regulator to the right PSI degree.

Relying in your setup, your jockey field’s PSI degree may very well be between 20-60(!) PSI. Begin at round 25-30 PSI and see how the beer is pouring. Step by step regulate upwards to eradicate giant bubbles in your beer or extra foam till the beer is pouring out with a correct head. The hotter the keg will get because the day goes on, the upper you could want to extend the strain you’re pouring it at.

Step 8: Run some beer by the system to the tap, then give the coils an ice tub.

Run your beer by the jockey field coils as much as the tap previous to submerging it in ice water. In any other case, any water left contained in the coils from earlier use can freeze up. As soon as the beer flows by the coils, submerge it in water and ice. Use cubed or crushed ice to fill the cooler, after which add water till the coils are fully lined.

Step 9: Take pleasure in.

Cheers! However after the get together, don’t overlook that maintaining your jockey field clear is critical.


Easy methods to make a DIY jockey field

When you’ve got an outdated cooler mendacity round and amassing mud, you need to use a jockey field conversion package to show it right into a DIY jockey field. Or, for those who’re somebody who has a number of additional draft beer objects, you may wish to buy a number of jockey field components to finish your system.

Step 1: Set up the cooler coupling and shank.

Begin by drilling a gap on both aspect of the cooler giant sufficient to suit your cooler coupling (again of the unit) and beer shank (entrance of the unit). Firmly connect the cooler coupling and shank to the jockey field with the lock nut and rubber washers sealing every half.

Step 2: Connect draft beer faucet.

Connect your faucet with the spanner wrench. The faucet deal with will screw on atop the tap.

Step 3: Join the coils.

Slide the hex nut onto both finish of the coil, adopted by the steel ferrule, and at last, the rubber grommet. Join the jockey field coil to every aspect with the hex nut wrench. To finish your DIY jockey field package, observe the remaining steps above.

Take a look at our How To Make Your Personal Jockey Field put up for extra detailed directions and to observe our how-to video on constructing a DIY jockey field

Obtain the Jockey Field Setup Directions (pdf)


Easy methods to clear jockey field coils

As with all different draft beer system, common beer line cleansing of your jockey field coils is critical. This ought to be carried out after each use. In any other case, disgusting gunk and residue will construct up, ruining your valuable new jockey field beer dispenser in a rush.

Step 1: Flush out remaining beer.

Use a regular beer line cleansing package to flush all of the remaining beer out of the traces after use.

Step 2: Clear faucet.

Take away your faucet with a spanner wrench and clear totally in beer line cleansing answer.

Step 3: Rinse system nicely.

Rinse your entire system with water.

Step 4: Clear the coils.

Clear the surface of the stainless-steel coils with gentle cleaning soap, rinse, and wipe dry.


Easy methods to save leftover beer from a jockey field

Leaving your beer pressurized at 30+ PSI in a single day will over-carbonate it, ruining its taste. Pull the strain reduction valve (PRV) in your keg coupler to launch extra strain when shutting it down for the evening. Then, repressurize the beer to 12-14 PSI. Instantly place the keg in refrigerated storage to keep up its high quality.



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