Floating Hop barrier repelling new hops

I am brewing route 66 IPA off of BYO's recipe base. 5 gallons. It calls for just shy of 6 ounces of cascade hops as well as another ounce of chinook(this is slightly simplified, but the amounts are correct. All pellets)

The wort was almost thick with hops, slightly sludge-like. There is now a 1/2 inch of hops residue floating on top.

A - this is the most hops I have ever used, does it sound right?

B - the last 2 ounces are for dry hopping. If I just drop the pellets in, they will not have a prayer of getting through all of the hops already floating on top. WTF! Is this how it is supposed to look?

A. If that's what the recipe called for. I've used 11 ounces in a 5 gallon batch.
B. Rack it to a clearing tank using some cheesecloth to filter the old hops.

I have brewed beers with as much as 18 ounces of hops in a 5 gallon batch with no problems. Yes it will be a bit thick.

The dry hops are added after fermentation, so the other hops should be long gone before you get to that point. That first 7 ounces of hops will be (or should be) left in the boil pot long before fermentation even starts.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Do you filter it going into the primary?