Did your test course sit long enough to really tell, like a full day in that Bakersfield heat? I ask because I got burned by this same thing back in 2019, soaked everything out of habit and then watched head joints crack two days later when the wind picked up. What worked for me was a light hose-down, just enough so the brick is damp to the touch but no water runs off, then keep the units in the shade until they go down. Dry brick will suck the water right out of your mortar and kill the bond, but soaked brick floats and slides around. Ray was right about the soup part. Try a few courses damp instead of wet and you will feel the difference in how the trowel drags.

Man, that light trick is just like checking your own work instead of trusting the gauge.