If your egg whites did not whip, there may have been a greasy residue in the bowl or on the whisk, or an egg yolk might have broken. Any amount of fat can hinder the meringue from whipping. To avoid this, wipe all appliances down with white vinegar to make them squeaky clean. When separating eggs, use cold eggs and gently break the entire egg into a shallow bowl. Use your hands to pick up the egg yolk and gently pull the white away from it. This will ensure the egg shell does not puncture the yolk and mix in with the whites.