A method of stirring molten metal by repeatedly sucking and rapidly discharging part of the molten metal into and out of a refractory cylinder having a lower opening end immersed in the molten metal in a ladle, comprises operating the stirring under a condition that an inner diameter (d) of the refractory cylinder is less than 1,000 mm, a relation between the inner diameter (d, mm) of the refractory cylinder and weight (W, ton) of the molten metal in the ladle is d/W.sup.0.5 >30, and an immersed depth of the refractory cylinder is within 200-700 mm. A pressurized gas for discharging the sucked molten metal out of the cylinder is introduced thereinto in an inclined direction relative to a vertical line against a point on an opposite inner wall of the cylinder at least 500 mm above the maximum suction level of the molten metal in the cylinder.A refractory cylinder operated in the above manner according to the invention comprises a flange connection between an uppermost and an intermediate cylinder parts of the cylinder at a location higher than the maximum suction height of the molten metal and a further flange connection between the intermediate cylinder part and a lowermost cylinder part. The refractory cylinder comprises at its immersed end a flow restricting opening to obtain more strong stirring the molten metal.