Couple of suggestions as you move through this phase. (Yes its a phase, it will end as your technique develops each day.)
When your grinder dumps into your portafilter, make sure you move it around while grinding to arrange as even a dump load as possible across the basket before you level off or change the grammage. Compression in one spot and weaknesses elsewhere can cause channelling (bitter overtones).
While youre experimenting with a new grinder, dont be afraid to updose as high as you can go before your shower screen touches it when the PF is inserted. At least youll have a better chance of a nice shot while youre fine tuning your grind. Playing with perfect 14g shots while trying to get a 30sec pour this early in your journey with (very nice) new equipment is cutting it fine. It takes experience and consistency in technique, and likely to be more miss than hit this early.
Figure out what that updosed grammage is, use it as your new standard measure, then make your next priority to check your time to blonding and refine your grind around that. Itll be your ball park, and youll be getting drinkable coffee at the same time if you stop your shots just short of blonding.
From there, your taste buds do the testing and gauging, and you can decide on whether to play around with just shot volume (try a ristretto), or grammage/flavour/shot volume, or to play around with grind size/flavour/shot volume, and eventually to play around with every variable.
Bear in mind always its whats in the cup that counts. My champion trainers drummed it into me, and its totally true. It means every variable is a variable, and the guidelines are just that.
You will develop preferences. Mine is for updosed ristretto shots (short volume measured shots) for many roasts I do, and I use these as a base for milk drinks. I love the sweetness and intensity. Every so often I come across a new single origin Ive roasted or a different roast depth that I like better as a full espresso shot. Its all preference. And its your tastebuds that are your best guide.
Oh yes, and as for the puck... youll find with ristretto shots, or shots that havent yet been fully extracted that a little puddle of wetness will remain on top of the puck. If the puck has any tiny holes in it (channelling), you need to look at distribution and perhaps tamping. If you can press your finger into the puck just after the shot and it compresses just into the top mm or so before it becomes dense youre at about the ball park for a full extraction. Too dry/too hard = over extracted.
Have fun. It is a great journey.

EDIT: last suggestion for the evening; if you can afford it or know someone with one, a bottomless/naked portafilter is a very nice to have item. It narrows down your technique problems very quickly!

If I tighten it more I get a slight sound out of the K3T which leads me to believe the burs a close to touching (and much further I cannot move it any further - when empty)
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