Will Cleveland

@WillCleveland13

The Genesee Brewery plan to ship 12 massive beer tanks down the Erie Canal from Albany to Rochester will begin Friday, the brewery announced.

The first barge will head into the locks in Waterford, Saratoga County, at 11 a.m. The brewery had been awaiting clearance to begin the journey due to high water conditions in the canal. The journey has already been delayed a week.

The best place to view the start of the journey is the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center, 1 Tugboat Lane. The 225-mile trip along the canal is expected to last six days. Genny will release a full schedule shortly.

► More: Genesee Brewery unveils $49.1 million expansion plan

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The tanks are part of the brewery's modernization project. The tanks can hold enough beer to fill 2,000 barrels and are 60 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Currently, the tanks are sitting on barges on the Hudson River near Albany.

The tanks will be offloaded at 150 Lee Road in Gates and then transported to the brewery by truck. They'll travel down Lee Road to Lyell Avenue and then go from Lyell to St. Paul Street.

Two tanks per day will be trucked to the St. Paul Street facility. Travel will be conducted overnight to minimize traffic impact. The brewery said it is working with local authorities to secure permits.

Genny is encouraging onlookers to share photos of the tanks' journey on social media utilizing the hashtag #ToastTheTanks. #ToastTheTanks banners currently adorn the tanks.

WCLEVELAND@Gannett.com

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