Big beer tanks being hauled to NY brewery via Erie Canal

The first of a dozen massive fermentation tanks destined for Rochester brewery has started its westward journey aboard a barge on the Erie Canal.

The 20-foot-by-60-foot tanks arrived earlier this month at the Port of Albany, where they were placed on barges. A barge with the first three tanks passed through the locks at the canal's eastern end at Waterford Friday.

Last week's original departure date was delayed because of high water levels caused by recent heavy rain.

The tanks were manufactured in China. They're too large to transport long distance by truck or rail, so they're being hauled the 225 miles to Rochester via canal.

The tanks are headed to the Genesee Brewing Co. in downtown Rochester. The brewery is undergoing a $40 million expansion project and will use the new tanks for fermentation.