OK, I have a few beginner questions

How long does beer need to be in each stage before moving on to the next? From what I gather you have the main fermentation, then the secondary (unsure what this stage is called), then it sits in the bottles or keg for a period of time (again I'm unsure of what this is called). I know these also vary from the different types of beer so I'll give you a few to go off of. I want to start with an American because they're probably the easiest to brew, but I also like the ambers like Killian's and Smithwick's (Is Smithwick's an amber or not?), also becoming a fan of the lager's, the one I have at the moment is Harpe's. Then I've also just fallen in love with guiness. I'm unsure of the others but with the way I love beer I'm willing to try them all. Now, I'm also developing a taste for wine and I know that's a different sub-forum but maybe you guys would still know. That and my fiance' doesn't like beer very much (more for me:rockin: ).
Anything general you want to add please feel free.

You should read chapter 8 of John Palmer's book "How to Brew" on Fermentation. It will answer your questions on the process. After that, take the time to read the whole online book. It's where I got my start, and it will give you a good base of knowledge from which to build upon.

John

I'm still pretty new, only have 4 brews done, but I think I can field these questions for the most part. If I'm mistaken, I'm sure someone will correct me. I use a basic 1-2-3 for the "stages." The first is called primary fermentation, and I usually let it sit there about a week or until the activity in the airlock stops. Next I rack to (transfer to) secondary, where I let it sit for about 2 weeks to clarify and let more gunk settle out. After secondary I prime the beer with cornsugar and bottle it. I let it sit in the bottles for a minimum of 3 weeks (naturally I taste some before the end to see how it's coming along). When it's sitting in the bottles, I believe most call it "conditioning," which from what I have gathered basically means aging it, letting more gunk settle out, and allowing it time to carbonate. So far as times in each go, I just sort of play it by ear. I don't hold fast to the 1-2-3 rule, if the airlock stops bubbling when I think it's too soon, I take a SG reading and move it to secondary if it's done fermenting. Secondary from what I can tell is a sort of optional step, it helps a lot in clarifying the beer though. If I'm gonna be too busy to bottle around the time I think it should be done in secondary, I don't hesitate to leave it longer or bottle it sooner. HTH

I'd start with an amber ale as they are easy and can be ready in as little as 4 weeks.

You seem to be a little confused between ale and lager, Guinness and Harp are ales, most "american" beer, like BMC, is lager, as is Killians (not sure about Smithwick). The main difference between ale and lager is the temp during fermentation and lagers must be aged at near freezing temps. If you don't have an extra fridge to maintain lager temps, you'll have to stick with ales for the time being.

I also follow the 1-2-3 rule, although I sometimes cheat on the 3 since I have a hard time waiting once the beer is in bottles.

I'll vouch for 4 weeks on the amber ales, that was my very first one and it was ready quicker than I thought.