Each batch I make involves some research, and I found that chocolate mead recipes range from cocoa preferment to Hershey's Syrup postferment. I went with the former. I heat pasteurized the honey, added 8 ounces by weight of Hershey "Special Dark Chocolate" cocoa, and after much reading and hand wringing about pH in meads, went with no adjustments to the pH of 5.99.
We'll leave this on the cocoa lees for 2-3 months. It is said to take 2 years for the bitterness of the cocoa to settle down. I see why some would choose the Hershey's Syrup route.
The second batch is a second run blueberry hibiscus wine. I saved the fruit/skins/pulp from my blueberry wine earlier this fall. I thawed it and simmered it in a gallon of water.
Then in the primary I put the usual hibiscus flowers, a can of red grape concentrate, and sugar.
Then poured the blueberry water (with the bag) into the primary and gave it a good mix. The kitchen smells like baked bread. But the must is surprisingly fruity, with excellent deep purple color.
The plan is to let this cool, add OptiRed and pectic, then adjust the OG and pH and pitch the yeast in the morning.
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