I just finished up making and aging a batch today. I don't know what it is about the dark spaces in my house, but things brew up and a hyper accelerated rate. My mead was DONE and winning awards after 4 months total, and my vinegar black was totaly ready in 1 week. I used cheap grocery store cider vinegar and 3 pads of 000 steel wool. There was still some debris in the vinegar, but there was no more gas venting. For the piece below (an untreated identical piece is below it for comparison) I brushed it on with a foam brush and then dunked it in the soda solution till it stopped bubbling. I then brushed on a couple of coats on neetsfoot and worked it in really well. There is no sealant on it yet.
Sorry about the quality of the picture, I took it with my camera phone and didn't use the flash.