The
3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the
minimum time it takes for
average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer. Beers stored
cooler than 70,
take longer.
Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..
I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.
Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled,
it's just not time yet.
Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here
Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word,
"patience."
So if three weeks tends to be the MIMIMUM time it takes for a beer to be carbed, then the choice really becomes....Do I want to have 2 FULL cases of carbed and conditioned beer by waiting what tends to be the time it takes for this NATURAL PROCESS WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER tends to take.....or do I want to cheat and sample green, flat beer.
Me? I'd rather not waste any beer. New brewers tend to be impatient....You can do whatever you want, but don't expect anything, and DON'T start a panic thread asking us to hold your hand if you open them early and they taste funky or aren't carbed yet. We don't tell folks to wait to deprive you of your beer....but because that's how long it takes.