Yes it does seem to beg the question, doesnt it. Most of the issues with the experiment could be addressed very easily, e.g. A transparent pane to verify water

Yes it does seem to beg the question, doesnt it. Most of the issues with the experiment could be addressed very easily, e.g. A transparent pane to verify water level or absence thereof in the "chimney", simply showing the steam being output vs. sending it into a drain. The possibility that it's wet steam vs dry would more or less perfectly account for the 6x ratio. Here's the thing: if this were real, Rossi wouldn't care about satisfying skeptics if it meant distracting him from meeting project goals. If it's a hoax, act like it's real.