Burton Union Systems

Hey all,
I did a search on Burton Union Systems but didnt really find the answers I was looking for so thought I would ask here. Do any of you use a burton union during the first part of fermentation to catch the blow off? I read the article that byo magazine had a while back and was thinking of building one to use instead of blow off tubing. My concern is the possiblity of the tubing becoming plugged and having a mess on my hands but im not sure how likely that is to happen. So what is the opinon out there, are burtons worth it or not?

Read the same article but have held off for the same reason you stated. If I build one I'll definitely post the success or failure.

Depending on the amount of hop debris and trub in your beer, 1/2" ID tubing should be plenty. I have used 1/4" in emergency situations without problems, you just need to keep an eye on it.