All of those are good ideas.
Also, don't throw out your harsh beer, if it is simply fusels, they will fade to esters over time and the beer should be more pleasant. I would give it about a month or so at room temperature.
RE: temps, I would keep it tightly controlled for the first 72 hours or so, and then just leave it in the tub, so it has some temperature buffering capability. The first 72 hours are really important because the growth phase is when undesirable flavors are formed (Esters, Phenols, Fusels).