http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/community/news/show?title=ballast-point-homework-series
dayum! 18% crystal. i’d like to taste this before making it sometime…
Dude, you (and many others) have to get over your fear of crystal. It’s how you use it, not the amount that’s there.
I’ve had a few Ballast Point beers while visiting California and they were all terrific. They just hit Illinois, but I imagine this won’t
I brewed an Anchor Porter clone I got from the Northern Brewer forum and it used 15% crystal. I loved it. I just went looking for the thread and there was blatz 
Ha! I wound up making my own twist on that recipe and used 15% crystal and remember liking it quite a bit.
Did I read that right that it’s only a 20 minute mash?
I’ve had Ballast Point beers I loved, and I’m a West Coast style fan. The crystal is at a high %, but I think the 1:1 BU/GU ratio , mashed low @ 149, with a high sulfate level would dry the beer out a good bit. Never had an over-caramelly sweet Ballast Point, but I didn’t try them all either.
20 minute rest, plus mash-in, vorlauf, and lautering. Probably 1.5-2 hours in conversion range.