I just started dripping on the Smoktech Terminator atty I just received recently in the mail. I too have only been vaping around 3 weeks and wanted to try dripping, for testing flavors as well as flavor improvement. I had previously watched only one video on dripping and it was on the HH357 306 custom made atty, and I simply followed the same instructions he gave regarding his. Mainly being gently blowing through the air hole in the threads that connect to the battery first, to get any dust, or left over materials that may have accumulated in the atty. While this one wasn't primed, I went ahead and primed it with a couple of drops of my juice and after letting it sit for a few, I went ahead and filled it with another 5-6 drops approximately.
From what your describing, I would say it is possible that your wick is silica and that you are tasting it. However I think that the "spicey" taste you are tasting is actually the PG, which is intensified by dripping it. I personally don't care for that taste, and while I do have a few juices I really like that have a 40% PG mix in them, I found that some of them I didn't care for the taste when dripped, but loved when vaped in my tanks, some I noticed were definitely MORE flavorful and delicious! All that being said, the first few vapes weren't the best, even with a juice that turned out to be wonderful dripped, which as the gentlemen in the video explained was likely. The taste fortunately went away after a few vapes, and I was even able to change flavors when I would try one I didn't care for, and after only one or two draws be able to start enjoying the new juice again! It definitely made me a believer and fan of dripping, and I can see now what all the fuss was about! Impractical for me all the time, but certainly something I will return to, especially for my best juices as well as trying out a new juice. Remember though, intensification can work either way with juices, and VG to PG ratio's, either intensifying what you really like about a juice, or bringing out a flavor you didn't really notice before, or was better off being muted when vaped another way if that makes sense. Also I forgot to mention that I did slightly pre moisten my wick as well, and that if you take too many dry hits, and it won't take many, that you can permanently affect the taste of your wick and coils if not burn it up prematurely! Hope I've helped as I am just as new as it myself! Good luck in rebuilding if you decide to go that route, I have organic cotton and bamboo wick and am waiting on 32 g Kanthal from Amazon myself!