Dry Hopping - Adding Directly to Beer / Need Advice

i’m about 13 batches in and each time i have dry hopped, i use a muslim bag. When i bottle, i have noticed that the hops are more of a sandy consistency, so i’m wondering just how much (likely how little) hop utilization i am getting. Does anybody here just add pellets directly into their secondary, with no bag? If so, do they just settle out to the bottom or do you have to use a clarifying agent before bottling?

Never used a bag. Just rack on top of the hops. Settles down in a week all on its own.

Never used a bag. Just rack on top of the hops. Settles down in a week all on its own.[/quote]

so i did this about two weeks ago. I added whole leaf on a Friday night and then pellets on Sunday night. About two weeks removed and the majority is still floating at the top. Any input?

Get the beer cold and the hops will drop out.

As opposed to a catholic bag? :smiley:
Either way works. I have tried it both ways and never noticed a disparity in favor contributions from bagging. But as Shade put out there, if you can cold crash they will drop.

dump dry hope directly into secondary…then put a paint strainer bag on the end of the racking cane when moving to bottling bucket or keg. Mine come out awesome this way. I won’t say too% clear, but pretty darn good.