Recirculating infusion mash system (RIMS)

A recirculating infusion mash system or RIMS is a brewing system that uses a pump to circulate the wort through a heater and then return the heated wort to a mash tun. In most RIMS systems, the wort is passed over an electic heating element which is cycled on and off to maintain the mash temperature. While an electric heating element is most commonly used, gas fired heaters can also be used in a RIMS system. Temperature can be controlled manually (physically turning on and off the heating element) while more advanced systems utilize a PID controller to automatically control the temperature of the mash.

Benefits of a RIMS system

A reciculating infusion mash system has four major benefits:
- A clearer wort from the constant recirculation of the mash
- More precise temperature control of mash throughout the mashing process
- A more repeatable mash due to the precise temperature control
- Ability to perform complex mash schedules

An example of a RIMS system can be found at [1]