Hi all,
I've been having trouble lately with overdosing (i.e. I can see the imprint from the group in the grounds when I lock in and remove). Here's my routine (with Oscar and Rocky DL), what do you think I should try changing to reduce the grounds in the basket but still maintain good distribution?

1. Grind ~5 clicks above burr touching ~15g of beans (less than 1 week old) into small container.
2. Break up any large clumps.
3. Spoon into PF to make heaping mound, again stir to break up large clumps.
4. Gently bump downwards 2x to get grounds to the rim of the PF.
5. Level off with straightedge swept across PF to make level surface.
6. Tamp w/about 25lbs of force.
7. Lock in.

At this point I almost always see a slight imprint from the center screw, which I think is causing some channeling.

TIA.

I would:

1. break up the clumps thoroughly before filling the basket.
2. Not tap the basket to get the grounds to settle.

Agreed; try skipping step 4, which increases the density of your dose. If there are gaps that need to be filled in, you can scrape your straight edge around in a circular movement without any downwards pressure to get a nice even bed.

Could be brew pressure too high. Have you checked? See How does Oscar's HX differ from typical e61 HX

Remove the basket from the PF and Tare it.
Grind ~14g into the basket. Waste a bit of coffee to see what ~14g looks like. Once you know, grind directly into PF.
GENTLE side to side shake to distribute. WDT with fine needle if necessary.

Tamp LEVEL and lightly, ~5lb.

Adjust grind for 50ml / 25s ish shot.

If there is a slight impression of the screen in the puck AFTER the shot, your dose is about right.

gauchogolfer wrote:...what do you think I should try changing to reduce the grounds in the basket but still maintain good distribution?

The WDT was created to solve this very problem: Clumpy grounds, uneven distribution. The WDT + Stockfleth's Move for Dummies are the one-two punch to perfectly even extractions. As an added benefit, you can downdose by volume by fluffing the grounds and then straight cutting across the basket.

That said, I view the WDT as a "grinder fix" and the SM4D as a learning aid. There is much to be said for a grinder that doesn't need assistance and fine tuning your barista skills, but there's no shame in a few extra steps if it dramatically increases your odds of success in the short term.

Thanks all. I've been using the WDT method (with yogurt cup) and was worried that the edges weren't getting the grounds they needed. Thus, the slight tap to settle them. I tried a side-to-side shake yesterday and today, followed by leveling as usual with a straightedge. This left me plenty of headroom on the puck (no screen imprint). Now the extractions look much better (stays nice and dark for longer) though I still have room to improve (of course).
Thanks again.

Just watched Dan's video on SM4D and read all the instructions. The most obvious difference between these instructions and the origninal SM is the removal of the basket from the portafilter. I'm assuming that this is not merely for instructional purposes, but that the SM4D requires the basket's removal so that it can be rotated in full circles. My cimbali baskets fit really tight and are a pain to remove. I'd like to learn the original move with the basket still in. But those portafilters are freaking hot when you pull them off the group. How do they touch them?! I guess I'll keep experimenting to try to find something that works.