As a steward of the craft of brewing (and occasional beer writer), I hope that I have not presented myself as an expert -- or worse, as The Expert.

When learning how to brew, I was taught, "The more you learn about brewing, the more you need to know about brewing." Becoming a great brewer is a process, and if you're looking for an end to that process you're going to be disappointed. There's always more to know and always someone who knows more.

So it's strange to me that after 17 years on the job, I've seen the number of beer experts grow exponentially in the past five to six years. Why is that? Beer has always existed. Maybe not in the diversity of flavors we enjoy today, but it's always been there -- just without all the chatter.

It's also true that craft beer is very popular right now. I liken it to a drinker's renaissance, a rebirth and discovery of flavor, richness and experience. And people should be excited about that. It's the same as when America shook off the chains of processed and canned foods and rediscovered the joy of fresh, local and organic foods. We're just better off for it.

As with the food revolution, the explosion of craft beer brought with it mind-numbing choices. Dunkles, schwarzbier, barleywine -- it gets as confusing as the world of wine does to a novice. Couple the glut of options with social media and the need of some people to be relevant, and in come the experts.

Wine is a good cautionary tale. People get intimidated by wine and the vast array of wineries and styles. They just don't want to look foolish and make a bad choice. Experts can rate the wines, and eventually they can become so renowned that their very mention of a certain wine can double its price.

I fear this is where we're heading with craft beer: too many experts and not enough guides. What we need are people to steer us toward new things without judging, people who are open to all styles, people who know the process and the history but, ultimately, leave the decision up to the drinker.

I rarely visit beer blogs, and I try to avoid beer-rating websites. Though I think many are excellent advocates for my industry, I have a nose and a mouth that work quite well, and I'm confident in what I like and don't like. While I really enjoy when someone tells me of a new beer to try, I don't want to be told whether I should like it. And neither should you. The world of craft beer is too diverse to be told what to like. Explore it, and become your own expert.

Andy Ingram is owner and brewmaster of Tempe's Four Peaks Brewery. Reach him at andy@fourpeaks.com. Follow him on Twitter (@fourpeaksbrew) or Facebook.