Miricle Box Party Setup

[JonnyAnchovy]

I'm about to build my first keg set-up which will basically be a mobile party keg. I was just planning on sticking a corny inside a large rubbermaid-style cooler and just surround it with ice, with a tap and shank through the wall of the cooler and a small port for the gas line in.

But I've only just heard about Jockey/Miracle boxes - I think this may actually be a better solution, as I've already got a big rectangular esky to use.


Can someone please let me know what the advantages or disadvantages of using a miracle box set-up are? Is it hard to dial in carbonation levels? I'm completely new to kegging, so am really unsure of what is involved, but have head people's sagas of trying to dial in their serving pressure vs. beer line length.

I've done a few quick forum and google searches, but can't find good first-hand advice.


ideally I'd like something like this: http://www.simplybeer.com/blog/jockey-box/


Cheers,

Jon

Edit: wishes he could edit the spelling in the topic. Can an op fix this? Arg.

 

[alowen474]

If you keep the keg on ice in a good bucket, use a pluto gun and get a soda stream adapter it is very easy.
A bag of ice lasts most of a day and put a towel over it to keep the sun off.
You will find simpler is better in most cases.

 

[crundle]

If you expect the keg to go fairly quickly (over about 3 hours or so) you can wrap the keg in a camping mat (a normal size mat will wrap around twice) which will keep it nicely insulated for that duration, which helps with keeping a fairly constant serving pressure. I put my keg into an esky with an ice slurry and wrap it in a camping mat with about 1.5m of beer line curled up in the ice slurry with the tap out of the esky for pouring.

You will have to muck about a little with the serving pressures a little, but if you have your keg at a stable serving temperature and pressure already it is only a matter of giving a try and if you have foam lower the pressure and perhaps vent the keg a touch, and if it is pouring too slowly, up the pressure till it is pouring well.

I have seen those small wheely bins of late (75 litres or so?) at warehouse type stores and they look like a couple of kegs could almost fit inside, with the tops sticking out for the connections - could be worthy of a project perhaps with a collar so everything is completely enclosed (perhaps filling the empty space inside with expanded foam for excellent insulation?)

Crundle