In the world of craft brewing, the main objective is to produce high quality, diverse and unique beers. The challenge of combining recipe creativity, production efficiency and cost containment is at the heart of every brewmaster’s concerns. In this context, there is a remarkable success story from FrauGroup: Aux Enfant Terribles, a brewery located in the city of Lille (France), which demonstrates how technology can be a fundamental ally for breweries, making it possible to produce special beers in large quantities, even in confined spaces.
The revolutionary AET craft beer concept
Aux Enfant Terribles is a creation of Olivier, Fred, Pauline and Ludovic, an exceptional facility that fuses the world of beer with a restaurant, bar and performance stage in a unique harmony. This concept, which marries the art of brewing and tasting beer with entertainment, has raised the bar for craft beer in the city of Lille.
Turning this vision into reality was a real challenge. FrauGroup’s task was to design a technological solution for beer production that would meet the objectives and fit into the space available.
FrauGroup’s solution: a tailor made brewing plant
FrauGroup oversaw the entire craft brewery project, delivering the plant in February 2023 after months of study, planning and implementation.
One of the most surprising aspects of this project was the level of trust placed in our team by the client, who relied entirely on our expertise. The challenge was twofold: to create a brewery capable of producing high quality beers in significant quantities, while at the same time allowing Fred and Paul, the ‘terrible’ brewmasters, a great deal of creative flexibility.
Xbrew: the brewing hub of efficiency and creativity
The customised beer plant for Aux Enfant Terribles was carefully designed, taking into account the unique requirements of this context. The objective was to maximise efficiency, both in terms of quantity and quality, while fully satisfying the expressive needs of the two master brewers.
The technological solution implemented is the Xbrew, a brewing plant with a brewhouse configured in 2 vats and semi-automatic mode, operating 7 days a week, guaranteeing a constant production of up to 3 brews per day.
So far, the Aux Enfant Terribles brewery has produced more than 70,000 litres of beer, offering visitors a variety of more than seven types of beer.
A brewing capacity and efficiency that allows a business like AET to count on a return on investment in a very short time.
With Xbrew technology, efficiency and creativity go hand in hand. The satisfaction of brewers Fred and Paul is proof of this, as they are able to express their passion with the support of the best brewing equipment. Indeed, what makes the Aux Enfant Terribles brewery unique is the creative freedom that the brewing equipment gives them. It is possible to brew the hops externally, which allows a considerable saving of hops, and also to obtain much higher aromas than standard. The technology developed for Aux Enfant Terribles allows the use of fresh hop flowers and the infusion of ingredients such as pumpkin and spices. This opens up even more creative possibilities and allows the production of flavoured beers.
The FrauGroup approach: creating harmony between technology and brewing passion
The FrauGroup’s approach to designing and implementing beer systems is based on fundamental principles such as flexibility, customisation, efficiency and automation. These values are clearly evident in the successful case of Aux Enfant Terribles, where technology has been put at the service of the brewing equipment, enabling the production of unique beers in remarkable quantities. A tangible example of how a passion for craft beer and technological innovation can go hand in hand to produce amazing results in the world of craft beer.
