Bagel Feedback

Hi Everyone! Thanks for having me as part of your community : ) I have been making bagels and would LOVE your feedback on some recent challenges..

1. Flat bagels unless I reshape them: I have been making and shaping my bagels then proofing overnight for 24 hours in the fridge. Upon taking them out (and prior to boiling and baking), I have found that I must reshape the bagels in order to get a good, thick rise. (I am going for a very thick + chewy NY style bagel!) If I don't and leave them as they are, they come out flat. When I reshape the bagel and reshaping it into a log, there is quite a lot of bubbles/gas that pop as I reshape it. Does this suggest I should be using less yeast? I am currently using 5 grams of instant yeast for 1000 grams of flour. It's a 51% hydration dough.

2. Residue on the bagels (and in the pot). Today for nearly 3 quarts (2600ml) of water, I mixed in 14 grams (1 tablespoon) of baking soda and 12 grams of pure malt extract syrup. The pot and some of the bagels had this white residue on it (I'm guessing it's from too much baking soda?) How much would you recommend? I did an egg wash on some of the bagels and the residue went away, but I'd like to understand why that's happening.  

3. Inconsistent bagel weight. I weigh the dough to be 140 grams per bagel when shaping (BIG I know!). Upon boiling and baking, the batch's final weight varied: from 133 to 148 per bagel. Is this normal? They look the same but I was surprised by a 15 grams difference.

I have attached photos to try to help show/explain. Any feedback is so appreciated, thank you!!

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