Hello, I am working on a project to serve beer on tap at different events. I have a mobile card (stainless steel) it is not refrigerated. If the keg is stored in a fridge minimum 24 hours will it be ok if im at the festival serving without it being in a kegerator? OR can I have the keg immersed in ice as I serve. These events are only for the day will I be ok or do I need to find a way to get my mobile cart some refrigeration? Any and all help will be great, thank you, I'M A NEWBIE!!! Samantha
Hi there Samantha. Welcome to Beer Advocate. All things beer are discussed here, and that includes kegging and kegerators. I suggest you pop in to the Home Bar forum (< < link) and post your question there. You'll likely get some good advice. Poke around the rest of the site, too. here's plenty of good info available.
Welcome to the BA aite, Samantha. I am not a kegger but I spend time in the Home Bar forum just to learn a few things. One thing that I've learned is that with any tap system is that the beer needs to stay cold, and generally 38 degrees is the magic number. So I'm guessing that you're going to have to figure out a method to keep the kegs cold. But post your question in the Home Bar forum, describe your set-up, and ask for suggestions on what might work for you. Good luck.
One day event? Rent a Jockey Box. If you have access to electricity use a kegerator. No brainer. A Jockey Box is a quick and dirty solution but it is also, well, quick and dirty. You'll get cold beer in a red solo cup but don't expect Tap House quality. Your keg must be cold. It must be kept cold. Do not buy any keg that is not cold. Keg beer is nor pasteurized with very few exceptions. Keep it cold. If your retailer is trying to sell you a room temp keg don't buy it. When you get it home have a place to keep it cool, if not cold. A friend with a walk in cooler (everyone has a few...) is a friend indeed. When you are ready for the event you can get away with ice on the keg. Keep it in a keg bucket with 5 to 10 pounds of ice. Plan to strap that keg in to the bucket because it will float as the ice melts and the keg empties, and as it floats it wont stay upright. Or drain the water periodically and replace ice as needed. Or use a heavy weight? Just know that a big cylinder of stainless steel filled with CO2 will float in water. A J-Box is a one day event appliance. So use up that beer in a day. Don't let the beer get too warm either. A day in the hot sun will cause problems but if the weather is tolerable you can ice it, use wet towels etc and it is manageable. The exposed beer lines can sometimes be an issue if it is a sunny and hot day. The beer will cook in the line pretty quickly, so a wet towel helps with that too. Good luck Samantha. Search this forum for Jockey Box advice. Cheers.
It's not even so difficult to make it yourself. There is a lot of equipment on the market and detailed instructions how to do that. https://www.beveragecraft.com/jockey-box-parts/
