I had similar issues with steam until I made a hood for over the flues pan. It can be as simple as a wooden frame made out of 1x2 strips with poly plastic stapled on it (I saw that on a maple tour on a rig that was 3.5 x 12. That extended up to the cupola. On that one it was about 4-6" out past the edge of the evaporator and dripped on the dirt floor. I don't recall what was used on the back side towards the stack. It had to either be some metal or maybe that side was open, I'm not sure.) For my first 3 hoods (3 different evaporators as I got larger) were made of aluminum, 1 and 2 were made from aluminum roof flashing and I made a condensate channel on them out of aluminum 1x1x1 U channel, mitered and welded at the corners, with a drain out at one corner. #3 was made from 3' x 8' aluminum sheet. The gutter was made the same as before. #2 only covered the flue pan and #1 was on a Half Pint so it covered the only pan. I lifted it to see inside with light weight cables up to the frame of the vendor's type roof I had over it. #3 covered the 3x6 flue pan and extended forward to all but 2" over the 3x2 syrup pan. On that one the rear part sat on the flue pan, had a sliding door on each side while the syrup pan didn't start until it was up above the syrup pan about 14". The roof was all one piece and the 8" high side plus the height of the raised flue pan over the height of the syrup pan gave me the clearance above the syrup pan. My current hood is SS and was factory made.
At any rate, a hood however elaborate will carry the steam up and out the cupola.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.