Wrong stuff - use it!
I was in your position a year or so - passed the IMC and wondered what I could do with it. I think you're right in building up to it gradually - for my first couple of flights after getting the rating, I would get a radar service and just duck into a nearby cumulus to check I could hold a heading and altitude.
Once I convinced myself that I could fly the thing solo in IMC, I started doing over-the-top flights, where most of the flight is VMC, except for a short climb and then descent through the cumulus/stratus.
Now I'm happy to file and fly an IFR flight plan, as long as it avoids airways etc. I don't feel I need a "safety net" in the RHS. you're right though - keep it current, or else go back to really short periods of IMC.
I still intend getting an IR, and think that this kind of experience will make the process a lot less painful.
Good luck in the test!