Beer Forum

tcb1993 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 06:55 AM

I bought a jockey box to dispense beer for football tailgate parties. I wanted to use a jockey box, because I was under the impression that the keg could be kept out of the way and at room temperature and I would only have to "mess" with the jockey box. I attached a CO2 canister and the jockey box has 75' of SS coil. My problem is that the my beer is coming out all foam all the time. I normally keep the CO2 at 14 psi, but there is still lots of foam. I tried increasing the CO2 pressure to 35 psi thinking the beer's CO2 was coming out of solution, but all I get is more foam. I tried lowering the pressure to 0 psi, but still lots of foam. I'm running plastic tubing from the keg to the Jockey box. There are no kinks in the line and lines are clean. Under any pressure condition, if I fill a gallon jug with beer, I'll get 10% liquid and 90% foam.

Q1: Why is this happening to me? Do the beer gods hate me?
Q2: I thought the keg could be kept at room temperature. At tailgates, the keg can get quite warm. Is this assumption wrong?
Q3: Because the beer keg is warm is CO2 coming out of solution before it reaches the jockey box?
Q4: If the keg has to be kept cold, what is the purpose of a jockey box? Why not just dispense beer straight from the keg?

topgun3208 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 08:05 AM

welcome to the forum TCB, Scott Zuhse is the moderator in here and he should be able to get you squared away. I never liked the idea of kegs not being iced down during outside parties. If I done a lot of parties I would invest in the MM Super Cooler, everything is there.

From the land of pleasant living, the Chesapeake bay
and hot steamed crabs!

tcb1993 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 07:03 AM

Thanks for the tip. I can't tell from the picture how the Super cooler works. Is it basically an insulated tub?

topgun3208 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 01:01 PM

a tub with co2, tapper, faucet and a dolly to hump those 1/2's around on hot days

From the land of pleasant living, the Chesapeake bay
and hot steamed crabs!

Scott Zuhse · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2006, 04:50 PM

The 75' coil may not have enough heat transfer to bring the temperature down. Particularly if the coil is not 3/8" outside diameter. What size is the coil?

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute