Abstract: An elongated steel tube, adapted to be filled with a high fusion temperature sand is positioned in a stationary refractory nozzle and its supporting refractory bore of a steel pouring ladle bottom nozzle before molten steel is first poured from a steel making furnace into a refractory-lined pouring ladle and then subsequently poured through said nozzle under the control of a slide gate or a stopper valve either directly into a steel ingot mold or through an intermediate tundish into a continuous caster. The steel tube includes centering means, such as fingers, secured to the outside of the tube to substantially center the tube in the refractory nozzle and permit additional sand to be placed in the annular space between the nozzle bore and the sand tube. In this way, upon opening the bottom valve, the hydrostatic head of molten metal assures quick, full flow of molten metal, such as finished steel through the nozzle insert.