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Malt crushing is the first critical step of your brew day: it directly determines your extraction yield, the speed of wort lautering, and the clarity of your beer.
To equip your brewery or distillery with reliable, precise equipment designed to last for decades, Rolling Beers partners with Criquet, the French expert in grain crushing for over 70 years.
Designed and manufactured 100% in the Tarn region, Criquet malt mills combine robust industrial mechanics with metrological precision.
1. Over 70 years of history and 100% Made in France expertise
Choosing a Criquet mill means investing in a working tool designed by an independent, human‑scale company rooted in French mechanical tradition:
- An industrial heritage since 1950: Born in Isère in the mid‑20th century and later established in the Tarn (Montredon‑Labessonnié), the Criquet workshops have developed and perfected their mills over three generations to meet the constraints of grain.
- Full design and manufacturing in the Tarn: From roller machining to final chassis assembly, 100% of production is carried out at the Tarn facility. This geographical proximity guarantees impeccable quality control and immediate availability of spare parts.
- Engineered for brewery and distillery workloads: Unlike imported equipment that is sometimes undersized, the mechanics of Criquet mills are designed to handle tons of malt, raw barley, or rye without drifting out of adjustment or overheating.
2. Technical performance: Tailored and preserved crushing
Criquet crushers have been specifically developed to respect the structure of malted grain (clean separation of the endosperm without shredding the husk):
- Micrometric gap adjustment: Allows you to adjust roller spacing to a tenth of a millimeter depending on the cereal variety (barley malt, wheat, naked oats, rye) or the filtration system used (mash tun with false bottom vs. lauter tun).
- Preservation of husks (spent grain): The fluting profile and roller rotation speed are calculated to break the starchy endosperm while keeping the husk intact, ensuring a naturally draining grain bed during lautering.
- Ergonomics and integration in the brewhouse: Equipped with hoppers specifically sized to receive your malt bags directly or interface with an auger / malt conveyor, they simplify daily handling for the production team.
3. A range sized for every brewery
From neighborhood brewpubs to regional breweries or craft distilleries, Criquet offers processing capacities adapted to your brewing volumes:
- 100 kg/h model: The ideal solution for nano‑breweries, R&D pilot systems, or small brewpubs producing 100 to 300‑liter batches. Compact and ultra‑precise.
- 250 kg/h model: The standard for craft breweries operating brewhouses from 500L to 1,000L. Fast crushing of your recipe in under an hour.
- 600 kg/h model: Sized for 1,500L to 3,000L installations. Allows large grain volumes to be crushed in record time while limiting dust formation.
- 1,500 kg/h model: The heavyweight of the range, designed for industrial breweries, 50‑HL brewhouses and above, or distilleries requiring continuous high‑volume throughput.
4. Comparison table: Choosing your Criquet malt mill at Rolling Beers Pro
| Criquet Mill Model | Crushing Capacity | Target Brewhouse Size | Professional Use / Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criquet 100 kg/h | 100 kg / hour | 100L to 300L systems / Pilot setups | Small structures, brewpubs, recipe trials, and specialty malt crushing. |
| Criquet 250 kg/h | 250 kg / hour | 500L to 1,200L systems | Standard craft breweries. Crush a full batch in 30 to 45 minutes. |
| Criquet 600 kg/h | 600 kg / hour | 1,500L to 3,000L systems | Fast‑growing breweries and craft distilleries. |
| Criquet 1500 kg/h | 1,500 kg / hour | 4,000L+ systems / Distilleries | Industrial throughput, direct integration with silos and automatic conveyors. |
Rolling Beers Pro Technical Team Insight
Optimize mobility and cleanliness in your crushing area! When setting up your milling zone, consider dust management and workspace modularity. For Criquet mills, we strongly recommend equipping your unit with the dedicated caster kit to easily move the mill during floor cleaning, as well as the hopper lid to prevent malt dust from dispersing into your brewery’s atmosphere. Don’t forget to perform a monthly check of roller spacing using a feeler gauge set to maintain consistent extraction yield across all your brews!
Need technical advice on choosing the right throughput or a full installation package?