Serving draft beer at a tailgate, wedding, or festival is the ultimate way to share your craft. But unless you want to haul a full-sized kegerator into a field, you need a Jockey Box.

A jockey box is a mobile draft system that uses a cold plate or stainless steel coil submerged in ice water to flash-chill beer as it travels from a room-temperature keg to your glass. Here’s everything you need to know to get your mobile pour on point.

1. Choose Your Box: MoreBeer! Ready-to-Go Options

We offer three main tiers of jockey boxes depending on your aesthetic and durability needs:

  • The Classic Blue (Igloo): Our most popular, budget-friendly entry point. These use reliable Igloo coolers that provide great insulation for a day at the park.

  • The Rubicon (White Plastic): A step up in ruggedness. These feature locking lids, which are a lifesaver during transport to prevent ice and water from sloshing in your trunk.

  • Stainless Steel Lux: The professional choice. These boxes feature lid locks and a sleek, polished look that fits right in at high-end weddings or commercial events.

Cooling Tech: Coils vs. Plates

  • Stainless Steel Coils: The gold standard for high-volume pouring. The long tubing (usually 50') provides more surface area, allowing you to pour beer after beer without it getting warm.

  • Cold Plates: A heavy aluminum block with internal tubing. These are compact and great for lower-volume pouring, but they require the keg to be kept relatively cool to keep up with a crowd.

2. Essential Hardware Checklist

To get beer from the keg to the faucet, you’ll need a few "external" components:

CO2 Tank & Regulator: You need pressure to push the beer. A 5 lb CO2 tank is usually plenty for a weekend. 

  • D1056K - KOMOS® 5 lb CO2 Tank
  • D1077 - KOMOS® Premium Dual Gauge CO2 Regulator

*Use Inert Gases Nitrogen and/or Argon for Non-Carbonated Beverages (Wine, Coffee, Tea)

  • D1054K - KOMOS 22 ft³ Nitrogen/Argon Tank 
  • D1070 - Taprite Dual Gauge Nitrogen/Argon Regulator 
  • D1091 - KOMOS® CO2 Regulator to Nitrogen/Argon Tank Adapter (allows use of a CO2 regulator with Inert gas tanks)

Beverage Jumper Lines: Reinforced vinyl lines that connect your keg coupler to the back of the jockey box.

  • D1752 - KOMOS® Ball Lock Keg Beverage Jumper Line
  • D1751 - KOMOS® Sanke Keg Beverage Jumper Line (threads onto your sanke keg couplers beverage-out)

Jumper Line Connection Kits: Including Beverage and Gas connections as well as gas manifolds for 2 or 4 kegs.

  • D1761 - KOMOS® Jockey Box Connection Kit - Ball Lock (2 Tap)
  • D1763 - KOMOS® Jockey Box Connection Kit - Ball Lock (4 Tap)
  • D1760 - KOMOS® Jockey Box Connection Kit - Sanke Coupler (2 Tap)
  • D1762 - KOMOS® Jockey Box Connection Kit - Sanke Coupler (4 Tap)

Faucets: : The business end of any draft system.

  • Forward Sealing Faucetes: Highly recommended. The internal seal prevents the faucet from sticking when the beer dries, essential for outdoor use.
    • D1581 - NukaTap® Stainless Steel Beer Faucet
    • D1210 - Intertap® Stainless Steel Beer Faucet
    • D1218 - Perlick Faucet - 630SS Stainless Steel

  • Flow Control Faucets: Highly recommended to dial in serving speeds and help mitigate excessive foam, also with Forward Sealing function.

  • D15841 - NukaTap® Stainless Steel Flow Control Beer Faucet 

  • D1221 - Perlick Faucet - 650SS Flow Control Stainless Steel Faucet

  • Rear-Sealing: The standard industry faucet. Reliable, but prone to sticking if not cleaned frequently.

    • D1207 - Beer Faucet - Stainless Steel

    • D1230 - Nitro Tap Stout Faucet

3. Pro Strategy: Setting Up for Success

  • Pre-Chill is Key

While a jockey box can chill room-temperature beer, it has to work much harder to do so. For the best results and a foam-free pour, pre-chill your kegs in a fridge or bucket of ice before the event. If the beer enters the box at 40°F, the coils only have to maintain that temp, rather than dropping it by 30 degrees.

  • "Ice Bath"

Don't just throw cubes in the box. Add a little water to the ice. An ice water slurry ensures 100% contact with the coils or plate. If there are air gaps between the ice cubes, your beer won't get cold!

  • Balancing Pressure

Because the beer is traveling through long coils (adding resistance), you’ll likely need to set your CO2 regulator higher than you would at home (often between 20-30 PSI) to maintain a good flow and keep the CO2 in solution (preventing foam).

4. Build Your Own (Custom DIY Jockey Box)

If you already have a cooler and a drill, you can build your own custom rig. MoreBeer! carries all the individual parts you need. To complete your box, you'll need only a few parts depending on your choice of coil. 

Shopping List

  • 50' Stainless Steel Coil (3/8" OD): The standard choice.

  • H680 - Stainless Steel Draft Coil: The no-fuss, traditional jockey box coil.

  • Draft Shank (3"): This goes through the front of the cooler to mount the faucet.

  • D1921 - Pass Through Shank: This mounts on the back of the cooler where your keg jumper line connects.

  • Tailpiece Assembly: These thread onto the inside of the shanks, 3 piece assembly.

  • D1735 - 3/8" Barbed Tailpiece
  • D1755 - Tailpiece Gasket
  • D2539 - Tailpiece Hex Nut (4-pack)

  • D1706 - 3/8" ID Draft Tubing: This connects both ends of the coil to the inlet and outlet shanks.

  • H950 - Hose Clamps: secure each hose connection with a stainless steel adjustable clamp.

  • Dual Draft Coil: Maximize space with this Duotight compatible squared coil.

  • D1944- KegLand Stainless Steel Draft Coil: Complete with 3/8" Duotight adapters. 

  • D1258 - Draft Shank w/ Duotight: Included DUO104 adapter to connect to 8mm OD EVABarrier tubing.

  • D1921 - Pass Through Shank: This mounts on the back of the cooler where your keg jumper line connects.

  • DUO104 -Duotight Tailpiece: Not included with the pass through shank D1921

  • D1718A - 8mm OD x 5mm ID EVA Barrier Tubing: This connects both ends of the coil to the inlet and outlet shanks.

  • Plate Style Chiller: The standard choice.

  • D1929- KegLand Cold Plate | 2 Lines: The no-fuss, traditional jockey box coil.

  • D1258 - Draft Shank w/ Duotight: Included DUO104 adapter to connect to 8mm OD EVABarrier tubing.

  • D1921 - Pass Through Shank: This mounts on the back of the cooler where your keg jumper line connects.

  • DUO104 -Duotight Tailpiece: Not included with the pass through shank D1921

  • D1718A - 8mm OD x 5mm ID EVA Barrier Tubing: This connects both ends of the coil to the inlet and outlet shanks.


Tools & Assembly Tips

To build these, you’ll need a power drill and a 1" hole saw (to cut through the plastic/insulation of your cooler).

  1. Measure Twice, Drill Once: Ensure your shanks are high enough to fit a pint glass underneath the faucet, but low enough that the internal coils aren't cramped.

  2. The "Grommet" Trick: When connecting the stainless coils to the shanks, make sure the rubber grommet is seated perfectly before tightening the hex nut. This is the #1 spot for leaks!

  3. Seal the Insulation: After drilling your holes, some builders like to use a bit of food-grade silicone sealant around the shank to prevent melted ice water from seeping into the cooler's insulation.

Pro Tip: Always flush your lines with water immediately after an event. Letting beer sit in those coils for a week is a recipe for a cleaning nightmare!