HALP HAALP ME PLLLEASE. Arbiter 2. What am I doing wrong?

I just bought an Arbiter 2. I had some premades, so I slapped them in, wicked them, thinned the wick, etc… and super bitter flavor. I’m also struggling with spitback. The coils read at .29. There’s something I’m doing wrong and I can’t figure out what.