I don't know about burn rates and what works/doesn't work with glo engines or why, but (I know you said no science) the ethane family is: ethane c h4, methane c2 h6, propane c3 h8, butane c4h10.
Grain alcohol is ethane , considered safe to drink (go figure) and mathane is wood alcohol, considered unsafe to drink. Both are known to be very highly toxic substances.

Any one want to stop over at the flight field, have a barley soda, and burn some nitro?