Fill level of bottle - HB competition

[hlmbrwng]

I'm entering a few beers into competitions over the next couple of weeks. I have been using kegs lately, so the bottles are filled from the keg. I do a pretty good job of making sure the beer doesn't foam. I have been filling as far to the top as i can to reduce the amount of oxygen in the headspace. There isn't much, plus I cap on the little foam that is there.
ALSO, I have no idea how much CO2 will escape the beer as the head space and beer reach equilibrium. I'm sure it's minimal.

My questions is: Is there any reason not to fill it up as far as I can? Is there a drawback to doing so? All I have ever noticed, usually, is that I don't hear anything when I open a bottle. Not a big deal, since it's carbonated.

 

[oylerck]

I haven't done a competition, but I I always overfill growlers and bottles to push out oxygen. Shouldn't be an issue I don't think.

 

[bkboiler]

I wouldn't fill it to the top. Water is "incompressible". Any sort of thermal expansion due to temperature change will impose a lot of stresses in your glass and could rupture it. This is the reason for headspace when commercial breweries fill bottles precarbed from brite tanks.

 

[hlmbrwng]

I wouldn't fill it to the top. Water is "incompressible". Any sort of thermal expansion due to temperature change will impose a lot of stresses in your glass and could rupture it. This is the reason for headspace when commercial breweries fill bottles precarbed from brite tanks.

I see! that makes sense. thank you!