i had the same problem when mine were starting out. i figured out what the problem was though. the water pressure was too high and it was undoing progress by blasting the new knots out.
i was not able to change the shower head, and my shower only had a control for hot or cold, pure hot or pure cold was the lowest pressure, and the mid ranges were like a firehose.
I resolved this by putting a pair of pantyhose over my head. it still lets a ton of water through, but the fabric acts as a pressure dispersant, and it didnt undo my knots. SE says it doesnt work though, but in my experience it was a miracle. i did it again when i was dealing with big chunks of loose hair that wouldnt dread, and the loose hair dreaded up really fast when i did that.
i'd pour my baking soda mixture all over my head and soak it, then put the dry panty hose over my head, wash the rest of my body and do whatever i could to take up approx 10 mins, then rinse my hair out really good with the panty hoes on until i felt it was sufficently clean. id massage it with my nails and fingertips slightly (not hard) to help the scalp and stuff without having to have my fingers pull out knots.
also, try mixing water and sea salt in a spray bottle and spray it all over your hair after you pat (not rub or squeeze) your hair with a towel and dry it off a little. then just let it air dry. the mixture should be strong enough to leave salt on whatever it sprays on. it will form knots really fast. if you use ACV, cut out the acv for a little bit as it conditions and relaxes hair.
Just some stuff to try that worked like a charm for me and some other people i suggested it to.
edit: max, i just noticed you said you use bronners. try cutting out the bronners and going to 1/2 cup of baking soda in a gallon jug of water, mix well, and pour over your head. it leaves your hair squeaky clean and readily grabbing on to each other. combined with the sea salt spray, you should see an explosion of knotting.