what did i do wrong

hey, i just finished brewing my second batch, was a kit, i thought everything was going fine until i took my initial SG reading--was supposed to be 1.040-1.048, obviously did something very wrong, only thing i did different this time was poured wort through strainer into primary, should i not have done that? anything i can do, i dont even think there's anything there to be fermented at this point, thanks a lot

what was your reading?

Pouring through a sanitized strainer into primary is correct. Helps filter out trub and aerate wort.

For more advice we will need to know what your gravity reading was, how you took it and at what temp, and your recipe and brew process.

Yeah, so what was the gravity reading?

sorry, forgot that part, it was 1.020, way off, it was a brewer's best english brown ale kit, i followed the directions or at least think i did, temp was 80

Did you do a full boil or did you add top off water to get it up to 5 gallons?

If you answered "I topped it up to 5 gallons!", then when you took your gravity reading, the wort you boiled and the water you added weren't mixed. Your beer will be fine unless you spit in it.

If you were brewing from a kit, chances are you are not taking the reading correctly.
Wort can stratify and throw off your readings. Did you take the reading after the wort was well mixed?

that explains it and makes me feel much better, i topped it off so it must not have been mixed, thanks

I usually put a tennis ball under the bucket and then it's nice and easy to shake it back and forth or around in circles. Make sure the cover's on, though! Mixing it all up isn't important, but the yeast needs some oxygen to reproduce before it can start fermenting.

Yup, topping off and not thoroughly mixing will give readings like that every time. Not to worry though, the yeast will feast and all will mix in the end