Please tell me where I am/ if I am going wrong

[Badger]

 Yes, even if you are going for the highest draw weight you can get. At some point, you have to establish a target weight.  Do you know how to recognize the highest weight you can get? Now if you are drawing to 30" you might want to go to 25" before you brace.

[Sandsquid]

I had same trouble as you.  I been making ELBs for about 4 years now.  I messed up a lot of wood trying to brace too early.  I know take the bow back to   

[Sandsquid]

I accidentally hit the post while typing.  I now take the bows back to 26" with the long string.  I keep making the string shorter as I go.  After I brace, I still have to shave some wood off to get to target weight at 30".  I also keep checking it on a tillering stick with a gizmo and check the floor tiller as I go.  The last few bows I made this way took very little set and needed very little adjustment after being braced.  I also pay attention to the balance of the bow as I go.  A couple of the bows I messed up were not balanced at the center of the bow.  This should have warned me that I did not have the limbs tillered evenly.

Del's videos that he has online helped me with tillering ELBs.