mixed signals on fermenting and other stuff

Ok, I bottled my first batch two weeks ago yesterday and had a few last weekend--a week and a half after a bottling. They were really good, so I am pleased. More on that in another thread. But I have a question about fermenting. The guy I bough the stuff from told me to let it ferment NO MORE THAN 7 days, but it seems to me, that everyone in here says fermenting should be longer. I did a Sierra Nevada clone--malt extract recipe. Like I said, they were good, but how do I know the proper fermentation time? I brewed again this past monday, this time a Munich Amber--sort of an Oktoberfest stye beer. And again, he said seven days.

So, what is the average fermenting time on this?

And obviously, a secondary fermentation (which, as i understand it, is simply a week or so after having put the newly brewed brew into a fermentation bucket, you move it to a second and let it sit longer) would take longer. So, what is the benefit of secondary fermentation and should I be doing it?

Sorry, I tend to ramble.

One word: Hydrometer

It's the only way to know if the fermentation is done. Then you move it to the clearing tank.

Ok, good to know. But I was under the impression that I could tell fermentation was complete when the airlock stopped that little bubbling action for a few days. Gee, can you tell I'm a noob?--"Bubbling thing." Thanks.

yep. hydrometer. and even if it does finish in a few days, you should leave it AT LEAST a week in the primary before you transfer to secondary. if you don't use a secondary, you should wait AT LEAST 2-3 weeks before bottling.

Well, an airlock usually will bubble during active fermentation, but not always. There are threads on here every day about people not seeing fermentation happening and worried and yet when the checked the sg with a hydrometer, fermentation happened! My very first beer did that- not one bubble. But the co2 must have leaked out the seal of the bucket, because when I removed the lid, there was a telltale ring of crud just above the beer level and the hydrometer indicated fermentation occurred.

The only thing to note is every fermentation is different- every yeast culture is different, different temperatures, different ingredients, etc, mean that there is a wide variation in times. I've had beer completely ferment in 24 hours occasionally, and other times it's taken two weeks. So, if you're looking for a "rule" the best I can give you is what I do- 1 week primary, 2 weeks clearing tank (secondary), 3 weeks in the bottle. Now, I've done 2 or 3 weeks in primary and then bottled sometimes, too. But generally speaking, a little more time is beneficial. When the yeast are done fermenting, they still are hard at work for a while, cleaning up after themselves and making the beer better. There is never a good reason to hurry the process. We're just usually too impatient!