I've been doing this split-puck mid-paper thing all week now, and the resulting shot behavior has been remarkably consistent: uniform wetting, and a spookily steady flow rate throughout the entire duration of the shot. Consistent pulls despite toggling between three different roasts. Shots taste great, with significantly muted sourness.

Dang it.

I would have much preferred a tip along the lines of "clap your hands three times over an empty cup, and a perfect shot will magically appear within" - but NO, this tip requires actual work. Doing this repeatedly hasn't dulled my sense that this is a fiddly process: paper/dose/WDT/paper/dose/WDT/paper/tamp. Essential to do this alone to avoid the verbal badgering from anyone watching.

Plan A: Stay the course and figure out if/how this can be easier.

Plan B: Take this as a heads-up for flaws in my no-paper technique I need to clean up. That presumes the layered puck technique is a crutch - but, is it?

Plan C: ??