Quick answer to ASXL in #11 - yes sitting an extra week or 2 will get you a better beer. At some point, it is deminishing returns, but as yet, nobody on the forum has said 'at x weeks in the primary good at x+2 no difference or it got worse'
The reason for this is mostly yeast cleanup note times below varry on a few things, OG of beer, amount of yeast pitched, temp of ferment, etc. but ingeneral for up to OG about 1.050 or 1.060 and at about 70F
In the first 12 to 18 hours after a yeast take up Oxygen, oils and such and start making more yeast- aka growth phase
between about 12 hours and about 3 to 4 days(overlaping some with the gowth phase) the yeast run out of oxygen and produce energy by turning sugar into alcohol and CO2 (ferment phase)
overlaping with the end of the ferment phase is the clean up phase running from about 3 or 4 days until you bottle and drink. During the clean up phase the yeast takes up varrious compounds trying to keep it's life cycle going. This clean up picks up flavors that are undesirable and keeps them in the yeast cells.
Additionally, like a stew that is left to have it's flavors blend, a certian amount of that occurs with the beer over all where the flavors come together.
Thus a recomendation that you go 4 weeks in primary and bottle and it takes 2 to 3 weeks (most will tell you 3) to get a good carbonation. I've had things carb up in as little as 1, but that is more common for 3 weeks at 70 degrees. So while you can open one any time you want, if you come to us before 3 weeks at atleast 70 for your beer, you will get told 3w@70F
And with that said, I'm anxious to try a beer I bottled last weekend, and will sample it tonight know it is probably only slightly carbed.