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Author Topic: Headspace in kegs  (Read 2442 times)

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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Headspace in kegs
« on: February 18, 2020, 09:50:28 am »
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?
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Offline denny

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Re: Headspace in kegs
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2020, 10:00:41 am »
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.
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Offline Slowbrew

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Re: Headspace in kegs
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2020, 11:08:05 am »
5 gallons will leave 2-3 inches of headspace.  Enough to install the lid with ease.

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Offline HopDen

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Re: Headspace in kegs
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2020, 03:57:10 pm »
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.

Offline BrewBama

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Re: Headspace in kegs
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2020, 04:35:45 pm »
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.


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Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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Re: Headspace in kegs
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2020, 09:13:06 am »
Thanks to all of you.
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Offline HopDen

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Re: Headspace in kegs
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2020, 03:32:47 pm »
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?