Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

can't beat a $15 extract kit on the stove-top if you brew outside in the winter, or even just re-purpose / spice-up the components as desired.
I bought a few of these last year, and I was quite happy with them at that price point.

The best were the spiced winter ale (only used spices for 1 minute at flame-out), and the simcoe SMASH ale.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/promotion ... -for-14-92

I get 3 or 4 every year. This year was especially fortunate as I've let my "pipeline" collapse and I only currently have one on tap and one just put into the chamber.

If you get three, like I did, you discover that Columbus actually sailed the ocean blue, with shipping and without yeast, in the year 1783....

Having a 1/2 of a brew day three times in the winter actually usually catches me up.. it did last year.. and they are not bad kits...

And, Andrew:
this year...

1 Simcoe SMASH (brew in the spring because there are no crushed specialty grains with this one)
1 Spiced Winter Ale (surprisingly good)
1 Irish Red.. (not bad either)... so I agree with your choices..

Fred