Over at maltosefalcons.com, I just put up the first of a series of notes about my club's "Troubleshooter's Corner." It's an old tradition that we've recently revived but think of it as a small group tasting with honest commentary and helpful advice. This happens at our monthly meeting while the main homebrew tasting is happening. A few veteran brewers step out and people who have beers or questions are free to come and go and we'll do our best to give advice and feedback and congratulations to those who are kicking ass and improving.
The reason for putting this here is simple: As you're experimenting, you'll need to get your hands on what's gone right and wrong and a Troubleshooter's Corner type setup to get your feedback.