Tamping

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Sounds like you have your coffee and gear all lined out like a pro. 

I can give you some pointers on tamping to try and help sort that out. If you’re using a double portafilter basket, I like to use around 19-20 grams of coffee. You’ll need to dial in the grind size as you change the way you’re tamping because every adjustment will cause the flow rate and extraction to change. In order to avoid the water making wormholes through the puck, you’ll need to tap the portafilter as you’re dosing coffee into it. This will help the coffee settle from the  bottom to the top. Otherwise you’ll just be tamping the top layer of coffee. Second thing is to level the coffee in the portafilter and then make a light tamp to create a flat, level surface. If your puck is uneven, the thinner side will over extract. Lastly, tamp hard and polish the puck by spinning the tamper as you release. This is not commonly accepted, but I’ve found that the harder you tamp, the coarser you can grind your coffee, and for some reason that seems to result in a sweeter cup. 

Let me know if any of that helps. Happy to explore some other ideas.