Octopi Brewery

NORD is on tap

As the demand for craft beer continues to grow, there has been a shift for brewers to begin turning to contract breweries as a cost effective alternative brewing option to help them break into the fast growing craft brewing market. Not only do contract breweries help reduce the cost of rent and eliminate high equipment purchase costs for new craft breweries, there are also many environmental advantages to having production closer to all the various places of demand.

Focus on the Customer

Octopi Brewing, the leading contract brewery in the Midwest, recently opened a brand new 18,000 square foot brew house in Waunakee, WI (just outside of Madison). With state of the art equipment and skilled staff, Octopi Brewing is not only involved in the brewing process, they also provide comprehensive consulting and strategy development on how to succeed in the craft brewing world. Octopi has three main goals; first is to produce high quality beer for new brands, existing breweries at capacity, and hospitality chains looking to develop their own brand. Second is to be the first ever contract brewery to offer a comprehensive range of services in brand development from concept to creation. And lastly to offer unparalleled customer service and brew beer in state of the art equipment catering directly to the needs of the modern craft brewer.
Isaac Showaki, President of Octopi Brewing, knows firsthand what it is like to not have control over your beer and your brand – having relied solely on contract brewers back in 2012 while launching his first brewery in Chicago.
Showaki holds Octopi to the gold-standard in contract brewing and enjoys helping each brand Octopi works with succeed in the craft beer community. “We are really a one stop shop. We’re able to answer questions on marketing, design, distribution, accounting, brewing and working commercially. Our customer’s success is our success,” says Isaac, “We really want to help young brewers get going.”

Focus on the Project

Located in the same industrial park as Octopi is the US headquarters of NORD Gear Corporation, one of the world’s top manufacturers of gearmotors, speed reducers, electric motors and AC Vector Drives. NORD has been involved in the craft brewing industry for years, and was pleased to discover not only that the contract brewery was being built in the same industrial park, but also that a NORD SK9072.1 Helical Bevel and SK4282 Parallel Shaft CLINCHER™, each with a 5 horse power motor, were turning the rakes in the Lauter Tun and rotating the agitator in the Mash Tun. “Of all the equipment we have, it’s the best. It’s reliable. It’s been able to handle everything we’ve thrown at it, and we’ve really pushed the limits,” says Isaac regarding the Mash and Lauter Tuns. Depending on the batch, Octopi will put anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of grain into the Mash Tun, and it is critical that the equipment operates flawlessly to ensure the timeliness and quality of the beer they are brewing.

Application Solution

A NORD SK9072.1 Helical Bevel with a 5 horse power motor turns the rake in the Lauter Tun while an SK4282 Parallel Shaft CLINCHER™ with a 5 horse power motor rotates the agitator in the Mash Tun

  • Hollow Bore
  • Flange Mount
  • Energy Efficient Motors


Wash down capabilities
NORD’s NSDtupH Sealed Surface Conversion System offers a cost effective weight saving alternative to stainless steel reducers. Through a revolutionary process, the aluminum alloy reducer housing and components are electrically catalyzed resulting in a molecular surface conversion. NSDtupH is exceptionally chemical, corrosion and abrasion resistant. The converted surface becomes very scratch resistant as it is 6-7 times harder than the original aluminum alloy as a result of this process.

Electronic drive control
The availability of either decentralized or centralized VFD control is another advantage of the NORD solution. The SK200E, SK180E and the new SK135E AC Vector Drive series are all designed to be used in a distributed control topology. Each series has its unique benefits and advantages. When the drive is motor mounted, it replaces the motor’s terminal box to create a combined, fully integrated Motor/Drive. Eliminating the need for expensive central control cabinets and costly wiring runs, distributed control VFD’s offer a sustainable cost savings, decrease installation time and keep labor costs associated to a minimum. System modifications and upgrades are very inexpensive.

Heavy duty bearings for mixing & leak protection
Several variations of NORD’s heavy duty, spread bearing design are also available for reliable, worry free mixing. Each design offers additional features and advantages along with an increased degree of leak safety.

Smooth Surface Motors
NORD has expanded its motor portfolio to include smooth surface motors to provide a cost-effective, light-weight and easy to clean solution ideal for the beverage industry and applications where sanitation and cleanliness are essential.

Because each NORD product is customized specifically to your application, we provide you with the best solution for your requirements. NORD components are clean, safe, reliable and efficient, designed to operate continuously for long periods of time and requiring only minimal servicing.

Download PDF case study OCTOPI here download | PDF (714 KB)