Jockey Box: Easy Homebrew Distribution

Most people have seen or used a jockey box at some point in their lives. However, they just do not know what it is called or how it is supposed to work.

The beer comes out cold. End stop.

In the article below, you will be given a complete guide to whatever you need to know about jockey boxes, and you will also be given a review about the best jockey boxes present in the open market today.

Their advantages and disadvantages have also been listed in the end for the ease of comparison. You can choose from them, the product that best suits your needs.

What is the jockey box?

If you are hosting a function where beer is going to be an essential part of your day, like a wedding, a backyard BBQ, a festival or a corporate party, you have to do your beer some justice and serve it via a jockey box.

A jockey is a one-time investment that is going to last you years and many, many parties. It is a container that is used to cool your beverages in an outdoor party without the need for any power supply.

The guests can fill their cups themselves, and marvel at the beauty of them at the same time. Like a portable keezer or kegerator on wheels.

Why do you need a jockey box?

Most of the times, the necessity of owning a jockey box slips from the eyes. But the need for owning one must not be neglected.

Refreshment 

Imagine being outdoors on a hot summer day attending a function. Imagine wanting to stick your lips against the most refreshing, cold, and chill glass of draft beer. Imagine doing that, only to be faced with a warm, unpleasant sip. Wouldn’t you want to spit that right out of your mouth? To avoid that, you need a jockey box.

Impression 

Your guests will feel the same way if you are hosting a function outdoors and are not serving cold beers. To avoid being unpopular amongst the masses, you need to get yourself away to serve drinks decently. What is the best way to do that? A jockey box.

Class 

The fact that beer would flow out of a tap is very pleasing to think about. Your guests will go home thinking that you hosted a highly successful function. It will also make you look very professional.

Jockey box functioning & characteristics 

If you exclude all the taps and coils, a jockey box is similar to a cool box. It is capable of cooling your beer in outdoor conditions. It is a container that is insulated on all four sides and holds ice and water. Moreover, there is also a long coil in it with hollow tubing. The main purpose it serves is to cool beer when placed in temporary conditions.

One end of the coil that runs inside the jockey box is attached to any external container in which the beer is placed. The beer is moved into the jockey box from the external supply by gas pressure. The tube runs through the jockey box in the form of coils, and the other end of the coil is attached to the taps that are integrated into the box, for the sake of serving beers.

You have to fill the box with ice and water. When the beer flows from the external supply into the tube, the beer cools down a great deal, even if it was fairly warm before entering the box. This will allow the serving of totally chill beers in outdoor or temporary venues.

Advantages

There are many advantages to owning one of these. They have been mentioned below to fully convince you that you need to go out and buy one ASAP!

Portability – The best thing about a jockey box is that it is portable. Hence, that is where it got its name from (jockey around). You don’t even have to just keep it inside your own house. If anyone of your friends is hosting a party, you can take it to their place, too! In short, it is quite a convenient solution for arranging drinks for any social gathering at all.

Ease of use – There is not much you need to do when it comes to operating the jockey boxes. You can just set up the box, fill the container with beer and you are good to go! All you need is to prepare the ice. It is like a temporary refrigerator, except a refrigerator is a lot harder to set up. A jockey box doesn’t even require any electric supply, which is great.

Money saved – Then again, if you own a jockey box, it is like owning a small pub. You can access fresh beers any time with this thing. It will save you an extensive amount of money once purchased.

Decency – Honestly, jockey box has class. They are pretty and sleek. They are also great for conversations. Your guests are going to enter your place, and the sight of it will make them go, “wow!” This intriguing device is going to draw them like a cat is drawn to a bag.

No mess  – A jockey box is going to save you all the hassle of “trash disposal.” If you are sick of collecting all the empty cans and bottles as soon as the function ends, then this is your ultimate solution. With this, you will no longer have to embarrassingly carry the heaps of beer bottles and cans while the neighbors look at you judgingly. Your guests are going to find it easier, too.

Factors to consider before purchase 

The Top 

The top of a jockey box is a gateway to the beverages that are awaiting you inside. You can either buy something that blends with your surroundings, or you can go for something that adds something to your room, like a delightful pop of color

Taps configuration

There are a different number of taps on a box. There could be one, two, three, or even four taps on a box. The number of taps mostly depends upon the size of the box. You can get a box considering how big your social gatherings are. It also depends upon the price that you are willing to spend on your jockey box, as the bigger ones probably cost more. So check the amount of money you can spend easily, and then go for the number of taps that are suitable for you.

Tap material

The taps are mostly made up of two different materials. The first type is the brass and chrome faucet. These are the brass taps that are coated with chrome. They are usually less expensive than stainless steel. However, they tend to rust and chip in a while. If you cannot spend much on the jockey, then you can go for chrome.

However, the stainless steel is more resistant towards corrosion. They are also going to last longer. They are not going to wear and tear as much as the chrome faucets.

Price

The quality of your jockey box mostly depends upon the amount of money you are willing to spend on it. The more you spend, the better the quality of material you will receive. However, you just do not have to get the shiniest and prettiest product out there. Make sure you don’t just throw your money out of your pockets.

1. Coldbreak Jockey Box Brewing Equipment 

Specifications 

This box features two taps and has two coils whose ends attach to both the taps. The front inputs that it has connect the beverage lines that are coming from your external supply to the front of the jockey box. Which means you will not need a jockey box cover, as the backside will be looking pretty neat.

The faucets are made up of stainless steel, which as it has been already mentioned, is the best material to make jockey box faucets out of. The handles of the taps are black, and the instructions on the instruction manual are easy to follow. Most importantly, the shanks are also made up of stainless steel, which, at any cost, are not going to mess with the taste of your beverages. They won’t pit or tarnish either.

The latch and the handles are also made of stainless steel, and the taps face downward at an exact angle of 90 degrees so that your beer goes straight down into the cup and not any other way. The co2 tank and the dispensing kits are sold separately. The weight of the package is 29 pounds, and the dimensions of the package are 24 x 18.3 x 17.4 inches.

Advantages 

• Everything is made of stainless steel.
• Does not rust or corrode that easily, and makes the jockey look very professional.
• The taps and the faucets have a detailed look,

Another thing that adds up to its look is the front input; it saves the messy look that would have been the case otherwise.

Disadvantages

The fast delivery is not guaranteed. (whos is?) Apart from that, everything is good about this piece.

2. 48 Qt. Outdoor Jockey Box 3 Tap Beer Coil Cooler Jockey Box

Specifications 

This product is so cute it will make you go, “aww!” I mean, just looking at it is such a delight! Humans are specifically attracted to small things, like tiny animals, and honestly, I found this as cute as an adorable little kitty.

But anyway, the 3 tap mini jockey is not only good to look at, but is also great for usage! Here are its specifications.

This is the ultimate beer jockey that you are looking for. The compact size accounts for its ease and portability. The jockeys are already easy to use and take around, but this one tops them all! This one is perfect for the campouts, small parties, or for the beer enthusiasts to take to the park.

Again, the stainless steel that we all love. The coil is made of stainless steel, which means it ensures great quality. The chilling coil is 25’ long. The clear beverage tubing, which is supposed to connect to the keg is 6’. The weight of the box is 6 pounds (so light!), and its dimensions are 12 x 12 x 12 inches.

This beer cooler is insulated enough to keep the ice solid for many, many hours. So you can enjoy chilling with your beers without having to worry about replacing the ice, now and then!

Advantages 

It is relatively small, and compact compared to the others. Therefore, it is quite easy to carry and move around. The bigger jockeys are more comfortable if you are to arrange a gathering inside your own house and use it there. But this one is suitable to move around and take with you wherever you go.

The faucet and the coil are made of stainless steel and are of good quality.

Disadvantages 

The faucet is chrome coated, which means it will not be as reliable as stainless steel when it comes to longevity.

Take care of the connections. If not secured properly, they might blow off.

3. Home Brew Stuff Portable Refreshment Device

Specifications 

Get ready to have your mind blown. This device is more than just a jockey that dispenses beer. What else does it do? You are about to find out. But one thing I would like to mention is that it serves double the function, in half the price!

Okay so, this is the best solution for any outdoor summer party. How so?

When I said, it does more than just dispensing beer. What I was trying to get at is, it dispenses both, beer AND water! So now you do not need separate dispensers for water and beer, this one does both of them at the same time!

This piece chills up to FIVE GALLONS of liquid. Let me you in on another big thing about this one. Wheels! Now, you can have your jockey hold massive amounts of liquid, without even having to worry about transportation. There is a 50’ stainless steel coil inside the chamber to chill the beer. And the faucet? The faucet is self-closing as well! How great is that?!

All you need to do is to fill the cooler with ice and water, and you will get you instantly chilled beer and water at the same time!

The faucet is made up of chrome. The weight of the product is 17 pounds.

Advantages 

First of all, it dispenses both beer AND water. Then, it can hold up to five gallons of liquid. It also has wheels that make transportation easier. Last, but not least, the faucet is also self-closing, which ensures extreme ease of use. The price it asks for is also admirable.

Disadvantages 

It does not come with the regulator. The beer line in the back is not compatible with most of the fittings so you would need to adjust that.

4. Coldbreak Brewing Equipment Jockey Box

Specifications 

Okay so, get ready for the classiest and most convenient product of this list.

The greatest advantage, you ask me? The greatest advantage is that you will not have to order everything separately; this one package comes with everything that you need to get your jockey box up and running. The dispensing kit that comes along with it includes the beverage and CO2 tubing. How convenient?

Stop pouring foam into your cups. A jockey is supposed to perform every time you pour yourself a glass. You and I are both aware that a keg to a cheap and poor quality jockey box is only going to cost you so much, and give you nothing but headaches. So here you have a box that has been made to withstand the harshness of the festival season.

There are seven taps in this jockey box that are meant for bigger gatherings. Then, the special feature of cold break can be seen t=in this one too, and that is the front input. The front input gives it the neat and professional look that we all root for. The faucets and shanks are both made up of stainless steel.

Advantages 

This piece is a big one; it gives an extremely classy look and has four taps for convenient pouring. The faucets and shank are made up of stainless steel, which ensures longevity. The taps are angles at 90 degrees to ensure smooth flow of the beverage.

Disadvantages 

Fast delivery is not ensured.

5. Coldbreak Brewing Equipment Jockey box

Specifications 

Another product from cold break. They seem to make the best jockey boxes out there man.

The cold break beer jockey boxes are built so that your beverage does not 100 percent come in contact with anything other than stainless steel. That is why everything, including faucets, shanks, and ferrules, is made up of stainless steel. Moreover, the inputs of the beverage line are present at the back of the box to make sure the front part gets a pure and neat look.

There is one tap in this piece. It withstands wet and harsh conditions. The dimensions of the package are 17.5 x 16.5 x 10.8 inches, and the item weighs 13 pounds.

Advantages 

Everything that is made out of stainless steel is the best part. It also looks great. It is compact, and light, so it is also very portable.

Disadvantages

It is difficult to clean after using it. If only it featured a water line that could be hooked on one end on the coil. Otherwise, it is a great product.

Conclusion 

In a nutshell, it is a great idea to own a jockey box. It’s surely going to take your parties to a whole new level. They will not only be convenient for you but your guests as well!

Your guests will go home talking well about the party. And that will only be because you served them beer in something as professional and as good looking as a jockey box. It’s a one time purchase, but it is going to continue being an amazing addition to your party for years!