Hops are antibacterial, one of the reasons they're the perfect herb for beer! And fermented beer is not a hospitable place for most microorganisms, a few can survive (acetobacter) but need oxygen. Oxygen, by the way, is the greatest danger in dry hopping, particularly if you use whole hops, lots of air space in those. While you can just dump them in, I prefer to put my dry hops in a disposable, sanitized (dunked in sanitizer) muslin bag with a weight (a sanitized, stainless steel weight), stuff them in the neck of the carboy, then rack the beer off 3-4 days later.I can't claim to know the science, but you can just dump them in 3-4 days before bottling with no issues. I simply drop them in commando, great for getting the taste and aroma but a bit messy. I use a tea strainer when racking to my bottling bucket and it seems to take care of most of the floaties.
A glass marble or two works just as well if you can't find a stainless steel weight.Hops are antibacterial, one of the reasons they're the perfect herb for beer! And fermented beer is not a hospitable place for most microorganisms, a few can survive (acetobacter) but need oxygen. Oxygen, by the way, is the greatest danger in dry hopping, particularly if you use whole hops, lots of air space in those. While you can just dump them in, I prefer to put my dry hops in a disposable, sanitized (dunked in sanitizer) muslin bag with a weight (a sanitized, stainless steel weight), stuff them in the neck of the carboy, then rack the beer off 3-4 days later.
Better - the glass is smoother (better sanitation) and it doesn't discolor.A glass marble or two works just as well if you can't find a stainless steel weight.