Did you wipe down all of your equipment with vinegar? That will help ensure theres no fat getting in the mix, because that can cause this to happen.
chessandspoonmaker
cream of tar tar?
Kiramaniac
Did any of your yolks break when you separated the whites? Any amount of yolk will affect the meringue. Otherwise could be residue on your whisk or in your bowl.
chunky_chocolate
Are you using carton egg whites? Sometimes those have additives that mess with their strength. Otherwise, as others have mentioned, maybe some fat or grease on equipment.
Nymueh28
People will say make sure there’s not even trace amounts of fat, but I’ve seen people do tests where they add a few drops of oil and it doesn’t do anything. I have yet to test this myself, but it’s on my list. Sure larger amounts of fat can lengthen whip time, but trace amounts in washed bowl has me skeptical.
After a decade of making these a couple times a month, I don’t wipe down my equipment with vinegar and a couple times a drop of yolk got in and it was fine.
I’d look possibly to the strength of your mixer. How long did you whip for? When I started off, the handheld mixer I was using would take 30 minutes for 100g of whites. More time if the bowl was less full and the beater has less contact at first. My hand would go numb. Now with my stand mixer it takes 8 minutes.
I also find cold whites take a couple more minutes on the stand mixer than room temp. Maybe more with a less powerful mixer.
kandobaka
How long did you mix at this point? Hand mixers tend to take longer. Even with a kitchen aid I mix for about 13-15 minutes
its-malaprop-man
I whip the egg whites alone first until they’re foamy, then I add the sugar slowly. That speeds up the process for me.
Also hand mixers take foreeeeeeever. Before I got a kitchen aid stand mixer, it would take me upwards of 30 min to get stiff peaks with my handheld mixer.
8 Comments
Couple of possible reasons:
1. Fat or greasy equipment
2. Not enough sugar
Did you wipe down all of your equipment with vinegar? That will help ensure theres no fat getting in the mix, because that can cause this to happen.
cream of tar tar?
Did any of your yolks break when you separated the whites? Any amount of yolk will affect the meringue.
Otherwise could be residue on your whisk or in your bowl.
Are you using carton egg whites? Sometimes those have additives that mess with their strength. Otherwise, as others have mentioned, maybe some fat or grease on equipment.
People will say make sure there’s not even trace amounts of fat, but I’ve seen people do tests where they add a few drops of oil and it doesn’t do anything. I have yet to test this myself, but it’s on my list. Sure larger amounts of fat can lengthen whip time, but trace amounts in washed bowl has me skeptical.
After a decade of making these a couple times a month, I don’t wipe down my equipment with vinegar and a couple times a drop of yolk got in and it was fine.
I’d look possibly to the strength of your mixer. How long did you whip for? When I started off, the handheld mixer I was using would take 30 minutes for 100g of whites. More time if the bowl was less full and the beater has less contact at first. My hand would go numb. Now with my stand mixer it takes 8 minutes.
I also find cold whites take a couple more minutes on the stand mixer than room temp. Maybe more with a less powerful mixer.
How long did you mix at this point? Hand mixers tend to take longer. Even with a kitchen aid I mix for about 13-15 minutes
I whip the egg whites alone first until they’re foamy, then I add the sugar slowly. That speeds up the process for me.
Also hand mixers take foreeeeeeever. Before I got a kitchen aid stand mixer, it would take me upwards of 30 min to get stiff peaks with my handheld mixer.