So I have recently brought a Copper Tun starter brewery and the instructions say that after 1 week with 48 hrs of good sg readings you should bottle using the carbonation drops. But after reading this forum I'm confused as lots of people are talking about leaving it for a few weeks, can anyone clear this up?
First thing, do you have a hydrometer?
Its a really crucial piece of equipment. It will tell you what your beer is doing and when it is time to bottle.
If you do have a hydrometer (or if you have decided to go out an buy one) check the specific gravity of your beer with it. Take a sample (oops, you'll also need to buy a sample jar and either a wine thief or a turkey baster). It would be helpful to know what the specific gravity of your beer was when you put it into the fermenter, but it isn't absolutely necessary. (Sanitize the wine thief or turkey baster before you stick them into your beer!)
The specific gravity of your beer should be somewhere in the vicinity of 1.010. (Check the internet for U Tube videos to explain the use of a hydrometer.) Pull another sample tomorrow and check it. If you get the same reading three days in a row you can figure that the yeast is done fermenting your beer. If the gravity drops, then the yeast is still working. Leave it alone until its done. Time means nothing. In most cases there is no harm in allowing the beer to set on the yeast cake for 3-6 weeks.
That being said, I've found that most beers are done fermenting within a week or two. I choose to move my beer to a secondary fermenter to aid in clearing but it is safe to bottle whenever fermentation is finished.
One caveat...if your fermenter has been kept in a cool location, slosh it around a little and move it to a warmer area for a few days before bottling. You may find that fermentation resumes with the warmer temperature. Bottling too soon will lead to "bottle grenades" at worst and severly overcarbonated beer at best.
Cheers!