On the Nov update when I do a retraction the printer extrudes the same long strand as it does doing an actual extrusion before it releases the filament. This seem very wasteful to me. The previous update does the same thing but the one before that retracts with only a slight extrusion as you describe. I sent a video to Creality of it doing this long extrusion and making some beeping sounds and they replied back that my printer is working the way it should on the latest firmware. I wonder if anyone elses updated printer is working like mine.