Your totally right about the steam and condensation. Have you seen it actually getting into your oil? I've noticed a lot of condensation under my collecting dish as well but zero moisture has ever made it above. It's very possible since your doing larger runs, and different equipment, your seeing different results. As for your heat source issue, I honestly cannot think of anything that would give you the lower Temps you need. Maybe a hot plate? The thing is, without using the double boiler, you need the temp pretty low as most of that heat is going to go into your oil. Even with a double boiler, when my water is around 130 my dish gets to 120. Pyrex is a great material for heat transfer haha. My dad is an electrician, I'm going to ask him about your voltage reduction question and I'll let you know.
