What size kegs do homebrewers use?

The Cornelius (Corny) keg is the homebrew standard, holding 19 litres (5 US gallons). Mini kegs hold 5 litres and are good for small batches or taking to parties. Some brewers use 9L or 9.5L Corny kegs for smaller batches. Commercial-style Sankey kegs come in 30L and 50L.

Do I need to leave headspace in the keg?

A small amount of headspace (500ml-1L) is fine and actually helpful for carbonation. You will purge this space with CO2 before sealing. Do not overfill — leave room for the dip tube and gas connections.

How many pints does a 19L Corny keg hold?

A 19-litre Corny keg holds approximately 33 UK pints (568ml each). A standard 23L homebrew batch minus trub loss fills one Corny keg nicely with a few pints left over for bottles.

Can I split a batch across a keg and bottles?

Absolutely. Many homebrewers fill a 19L Corny keg first, then bottle the remaining 2-3 litres. The bottled portion can be primed with sugar while the keg is force-carbonated. This gives you both convenience and portability.

Is kegging worth the investment?

Kegging eliminates bottle washing, capping, and priming — saving significant time. You can force carbonate in days rather than weeks, adjust carbonation on the fly, and serve draught beer at home. The initial investment pays for itself in convenience over time.

BrewCalcs

Keg Calculator

Calculate how many kegs you need and remaining volume.

Batch Size

Trub / Loss

Keg Size

How We Calculate This

Keg Count Calculation

Packagable Volume = Batch Size - Trub Loss. Then Kegs Needed = Packagable Volume / Keg Size, rounded up. Remaining headspace in the final keg is calculated, and pint count uses the UK pint measure of 568ml.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: 2025-02-20

All calculations are estimates. Always verify values and adjust based on your equipment and ingredients.