can a keg be too full?

so i transferred my porter today. i must have had just over 5 gallons, because the beer came to the very top of the keg and overflowed a bit. i had the lid in a bucket of sanitizer. i took the lid from the sanizier, and put it on, pretty much giving no head space. I hooked up the co2 and bled beer out, so i guess that created a bit of head space. Do you need head space in the keg for the carbonation to work correctly?i wanted to bleed off some pressure to make sure the o2 was out, the only way i could do that was by bleeding beer to get head space, then bleeding again.

You just need it blow the gas line to beer doesn't flow up into your likely unsanitary gas line and regulators. Less dead space will just mean less dead space for wasted CO2 at the beginning.

If there is literaly zero headspace it will take forever to carb because it has a very small surface area to disolve into the beer. Basically only the cross section of the gas in port.

I never fill mine past the weld at the top.

i had starsan foam coming out the top so i couldnt tell exactly how much was in there until it overflowed. i thought i had a little less than 5 gallons in the bucket.

I "bled off" beer when i was trying to purge out o2. i havent opened the keg to see how much beer is in there, but i can hear the beer bubbling when i hit it with more co2 so its at least very close to the co2 dip tube. think there is too much beer?

I like to keep the beer below the gas tube, but as long as you have a check valve in the CO2 line, it's okay. Just makes for slower carbonation due to the lack of surface.

i have no idea if there is a check tube. given that i dont know what it is ill assume i dont have one. should i hook up the faucet line and pour off a beer?

Hmm, could be too full. Better send it to me and I will help you with your problem. I will be sure to send back a less full keg.

lol <sarcasm> ok its on its way! </sarcasm> i did taste it an im quite excited for this brew. It was excellent flat. hopefully it just gets better when chilled and carbed!

anyone have opinions on weather or not i should pour a beer to give some head room?

I have had this problem with the first keg that I did. I no longer fill it up past the CO2 tube in the tank. Just ensure that if beer got in your CO2 line you sanitize it. Good luck.