Grill temp set at 225, grill temp on the MAK reads 220, Smoke Temp on upper rack reading 160.  Currently cooking About 10lbs of pork butt, bone in.  Any thoughts on the huge temp difference?

Is the probe next to the meat?

Where is your meat setting that is where you want to place the grate temp probe?  That is all that matters to me.  Unless it is really cold while you are cooking, there should not be that much of a difference and even then I am surprised.

Meat is on the top rack, grate probe clip in middle between two butts.

What is the outside temp?

Was the 160° temp on the Smoke right when you put the meat on or after they had been on for an hour plus?

It was about three hours into the cook.  Outside temp was mid 60’s, not very cold

Also the temp probe is very clean.  It is a new probe that I installed two days ago.

Doesn't seem right unless the meat was too close to the probe.  Did it get any better as the cook went further along?  Can you spread the shoulders further from the probe to give it some room to get air circulating around it?

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

Still seeing about a 40 degree difference, not sure if the grate probe is too close or not.  The cook is coming along really nice.

could be that pan underneath is not allowing the heat to circulate and blocking the reading on the grate probe

Am I correct in noticing that your grill probe was laying across the grate and not attached to the grate.  If so it is then possible that that probe is getting mixed readings because of the space between the grates.  Not sure I said that right however I am wondering if it is trying to read both the temp of the pan and the grate., where as the probe in the butts are surrounded by the meat and is getting only the meat reading.

If possible i would test the grate temp next time using an alligator probe or even using an instant read thermometer to see what i reads one touching just the grate.

could be that pan underneath is not allowing the heat to circulate and blocking the reading on the grate probe

Agreed.  Many pellet smokers upper shelf is cooler because the diffuser is the radiant heat source.  The upper grate is farther away from the diffuser. 

The tip of the probe is where the sensor is.  Yours looks to be within one inch.  That could be too close especially at the beginning of the cook the meat is much cooler.

Thank you guys so much, I removed the pan and then the temps aligned.  I love this site, learning so much.

Thank you guys so much, I removed the pan and then the temps aligned.  I love this site, learning so much.

Took as a while, but we figured it out

This is the fourth time I have cooked pulled pork on my MAK, I have always used the pan on the bottom shelf.  Each cook took me at least 16 to 18 Hours to get to 195 degrees.  Always thought this was odd, now I know why.