First time brewing--fermentation ?

Its fine .. most people ( including myself ) ferment for 2 weeks or longer. Dont worry about the sulfur or anything else. Leaving the beer on the yeast will actually help clean up and clarify the beer. As long as its not in the sunlight or getting to warm then you are all good.

 

just curious - how's your friend's beer?

...yeah, leave it. two more weeks would be great.

 

Yup, not only is it ok to leave it, its actually better that you do.

 

One week in the primary is really kind of minimal. I would only bottle after a week if I were able to check the gravity and make sure that it's finished. Even then, as jncastillo says, leaving it longer will allow the yeast to clean up natural and inevitable compounds that are produced by the fermentation process itself, compounds that can create some pretty nasty off-flavors. I think your friend might be being a little pushy. It would take quite a while for the yeast to die and begin to rupture (autolysis)--you're talking months probably. I generally don't even think about transferring from a primary until after 2 weeks, and wouldn't bat an eye at 3 weeks.

 

You have already received good advice here. My advice would be to not listen to anything your friend says. Sulfur?

 

I usually don't even peek for a month. Then I keg. Sulfur is usually a smell (rotten eggs) that yeast kick off as they ferment. Afterwards, the yeast and that smell clean up.