I’m doing almost exactly what i was before (some trade secrets ofc) for the high tier items, but added quirk removal and vigour pastes in my extra slots, timing and ingredient order however remains paramount.
For lesser items / fewer target boons i have switched to a combination with corrupt compound pathway that i have made safer, as it uses less vigour but i still carry catalyst in case of near misses. This rotation is cheaper material wise for non-max items, but carries a minor risk of defects and uses a completely different compound set (although my pastes and solvents/catalysts stay mostly the same)