Headspace in kegs

[Lazy_Ant_Brewing]

If you put exactly 5 gallons of beer in a corny keg, is there any headspace or would that amount of beer fill it completely?

[denny]

@Lazy_Ant_Brewing

If you put exactly 5 gallons of beer in a corny keg, is there any headspace or would that amount of beer fill it completely?

My cornies seem to be 5.25ish gal.

[slowbrew]

5 gallons will leave 2-3 inches of headspace.  Enough to install the lid with ease.

Paul

[HopDen]

I never really thought to find out. I keg using a closed transfer and when I see beer coming-out of the gas port i shut it down. Is head space really important? Most but not all of my beers are already carbonated from brite tank (conical) to keg.

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

@HopDen

I never really thought to find out. I keg using a closed transfer and when I see beer coming-out of the gas port i shut it down. Is head space really important? Most but not all of my beers are already carbonated from brite tank (conical) to keg.

I do the same thing. After it’s full, I attach a tap and run off a pint or so until I quit hearing bubbling from the CO2 pushing it out to get some headspace.

[Lazy_Ant_Brewing]

Thanks to all of you.

[HopDen]

@Lazy_Ant_Brewing

If you put exactly 5 gallons of beer in a corny keg, is there any headspace or would that amount of beer fill it completely?

For whatever reason, I was thinking about this today and I’m not trying to split hairs but, how are you ensuring that you are in fact putting exactly 5 gallons into your keg? Do you weigh it as you are filling? Does different FG affect the weight thereby needing a way to ensure volume to the 5 gallon mark? Have you pre filled your kegs and checked to see how much water they will hold with & w/o head space? Also, what benefit, if any does head space give us? Canned beer has zero head space (assumption), bottled beer has head space…Why?