Did the guys on the crew try dropping the pump speed first? My buddy went through this exact deal on a job over in LaPlace, dropped from a 10 to an 8 liner and figured he'd just run it wide open. Pressure went crazy and his suction line started dancing, you could hear it starving for mud. He backed the throttle down about 200 rpm and that got the vacuum under control without losing his cut. Turns out the smaller liner needs less flow coming in, not more, so running it hard just chokes the suction side. Might be worth checking your hose size and length too, a long run with a small hose will bite you every time.

Kinda hurts to admit, but yeah, it does make the group feel less polished when the feed's all WIPs.

Read somewhere that the real magic is the steady temp around 78-80°F. A cheap seedling heat mat with a thermostat can get you close for like $20, but the key is the thermostat. Without it, the mat swings too much and your dough gets moody. Also heard of folks using a cooler with a warm water bottle, but that's more babysitting than proofing, if you ask me. Your mileage may vary, but temp control is probably 80% of the game.