I don't know what is meant by "surgical alcohol." If you mean "rubbing alcohol" I would urge caution since rubbing alcohol is often isopropyl alcohol mixed with an oil so it doesn't dry the skin. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is very expensive since it's drinking alcohol and taxed heavily and available only in liquor stores. Denatured alcohol is ethanol mixed with stuff that makes you very sick when you drink it.
I use methanol on stocks. Methanol is wood alcohol. Cheap because it cannot be drunk as it is toxic if you do. So don't.
There are two general classes of stains - pigment and dye stains. Pigment stains have colored paint pigment in them and can dull the grain. A dye stain does not and will not dull the grain. Water or organic solvent dye stains can be used.
