Ales can always be served at room temperature, but refrigeration will
enhance some of the hoppier flavors and help to clarify the beer.
Remember that each bottle contains sediment, so try not to agitate
them when transporting or opening, and when pouring, pour smoothly and
leave the last 1-2 inches of beer in the bottle, else you'll get a
sour, yeasty surprise.
Variables/Experimentation
Now that you've got the basics under your belt, you can experiment
with all the different ways of tweaking beer's various
characteristics. Some of these include:
Mash malted barley to complement your malt extract. One method
involves taking cracked, malted barley in a cheesecloth sock and
submerging it in your water as it heats. Remove and squeeze the sock
like a teabag when the water reaches 180 degrees, then continue as
normal. This provides significant body and richness to your brew.
Use other adjuncts (rice, potatoes, other starches) to enhance and
add to the flavors. These can be done in the same manner as the malted
barley above. You can also use coffee, chocolate and fruit at various
stages of cooking the wort to achieve unique flavors and effects.
Try different hop varieties and mixtures thereof. Each has its own
character and aroma.
With these tools and methods at your disposal, you'll be brewing like
a pro in no time. But remember, even if things go wrong, you've still
got beer, and that's always a very good thing.