Working with Whiskey barrel wood

After drinking a few whiskeys a few weeks back I ordered a couple of whiskey barrel lids. Figured I could come up with some kind of project for them.

Took a quick stab at gluing one together just as it was, with the intent of turning it into a small table top. Well, that failed pretty much right away. I couldn't get the joints tight or keep it anywhere close to flat, so I bailed on that.

My though now is to mill the individual boards, glue up a small panel, and turn that into a table top. I don't have a moisture meter, but the wood does feel kinda damp. Can I bake it to dry it out? Or does it just need to dry out on its own over time?

If anyone has used whiskey barrel wood with success I'd love to hear how you did it. Thanks!