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Chocolate alchemy has many types of nibs

Before you throw in the towel on the current batch, you may want to let it age and mature for a bit. It may yet surprise you. If you do decide to make melomel with it, try to keep at least a few bottle of this as a traditional mead. You can certainly add, fruit or juice or spices and other...

I'd probably let the mead finish then rack. Batches that have been boiled tend to clear quickly in my experience. The boiling denatures all the proteinaceous material and it drops out much faster. Medsen

The best clarifier is time. A fridge is second best. Of the fining agents, I find Bentonite and Sparkolloid work well for me.

It needs to sit until it is clear enough to read newspaper through before your bottle it, and even then, you may want to treat it with Bentonite or Sparkolloid (or other fining agents) to make sure it doesn't drop sediment in your bottles. After it has aged for a year or 2 you'll probably be...

Probably.

YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary :) At lower levels I find cocoa powder adds some character that just doesn't come out and say "CHOCOLATE." I wouldn't say it is wasted, but it just doesn't give enough character at less than 3 ounces per gallon to be distinct.

At the level you are using the chocolate will probably not be distinct. I find my taste buds need about 6 ounces per gallon to make it identifiable (YMMV). Adding more to secondary will be fine, but cocoa powder takes a long time to clear.

I do most of my aging in kegs. It works without problem and meads age fine in them. Some meads (think heavy-tannin berry melomels), like some red wines, may benefit from some oxygen uptake during the maturation process. Usually, racking it a few times as it clears suffices in my experience...

While it never hurts to make a starter if you're comfortable doing it, when using dry yeast it isn't necessary. If you rehydrate them properly, you'll have an adequate cell count to pitch without taking the time for a starter. Generally a 5-gram packet is fine for 5-gallon batches with a normal...

I made a great batch with figs (brown turkey) using Red Star Côte des Blancs, but there are many other good choices. I used about 20 pounds of figs in the primary. The figs don't leave a lot of distinct aroma and flavor, but give tremendous body, mouthfeel, and nice acidity. The honey flavor...

The color compounds in beets (betacyanins for you science geeks) are very unstable in aqueous solution and tend to break down quickly. They make a lovely color that tends to fade away with age. A small amount of elderberry juice can add a lot of color with virtually no aroma and flavor...

K1V and a cool ferment will produce an excellent sourwood traditional, but you may want to backsweeten as it is a high ABV yeast. Sourwood is a great honey, but the aroma is somewhat delicate.Whatever yeast you choose, ferment cool to preserve the character. Also, if you keep the ABV down to a...

Some honey has a musky character. Goldenrod is good example. I'd be inclined to let it age. If you provide the full recipe and process details, we may be able to see something else. Sulfur odors can come across as musky sometimes, and you could test a sample with a copper penny. Mousy and...

20 Cloves? You'll be lucky if it doesn't make your tongue go numb. :)

Cellar temp (around 57 F) is probably ideal, however, I keep most of mine stored at 75F, and they do well and will certainly last for several years even with that kind of storage.

A pint will usually weigh about 1.5 pounds. You are being charged in excess of $5 per pound. You can have some of the best honey in the world delivered to your doorstep for less than $4 per pound. I'd look for some better pricing.

The pictures look fine. It is normal to have a sour taste because the yeast secrete all sorts of organic acids into the mead. New dry meads usually taste crappy especially if they have fermented at a high enough temperature to be done in 5 days. If you let it sit quietly and clear for another...

The notion that adding fruits or juices will raise the ABV is a common misconception. The volume that gets added when adding fruits and juices means there is significant dilution of the ABV before the fermentation starts again. If you track the volumes carefully you will be able to see this...

You can do it any number of ways. For chocolate batches I find 1/2 of a vanilla bean per gallon works (split and scraped) but you can always add more if it suits your tastes. For a 5-gallon batch, 1 Tbsp of good vanilla extra will work, but again, you can add more or less to suit you individual...