When you do #2, what are the various queries? i.e. are you making a set of queries to bring verion X up to current for all previous versions? If so, would be a lot easier (for this and future releases) if the set queries were to bring version X up to version Y (version X+1), and just apply step #2 iteratively until you're at the current state.

You could obsolete #1 by starting to store the schema version number in the schema somewhere .. if you already have a config file/table could just put it in there .. or maybe a new table version_history with columns version_number, version_name, version_description, release_date, install_date ...